The Secret Juunishi
by secretjuunishi
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have Secrets. Mary x Hatori. Sue x Shigure.
1. Chapter 1

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Please, oh, please...do not take this seriously. ;)   
  
-  
  
Chapter 1 of ?  
  
-  
  
"Ahh!" Mary exclaimed before the ground abruptly came up to meet her. With a thud, she landed hard on the road. She glared at the random bucket that had tripped her up.  
  
"Kyaa!" A voice said beside her. Mary winced at the volume of Sue's voice.  
  
"Are you ok, Mary?" Sue's worried face came into her vision and she had to smile at her friend's expression.  
  
"I'm fine, Sue. Don't worry. Just a little scratch, see?" Mary raised her left arm and pointed at the scratch on her elbow.  
  
"Eek!" Sue suddenly jumped up and looked from side to side quickly, as if looking for something. She took a deep breath before suddenly screaming, "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!!"  
  
"What the Hell are you doing, Sue?!" Mary screamed, hoping no one heard her hysterical friend.  
  
"Blood! Blood! BLOOOOOOOD!" Sue was jumping up and down by now, pointing excitedly at Mary's scrape.  
  
Sure enough, Mary was bleeding. But it really wasn't that big of a deal.  
  
"Sue...please calm down before-" Mary was interrupted by a voice from above.  
  
"Um, is everything ok?"  
  
Slowly, Mary and Sue's heads tilted up and noticed a little boy sitting on top of the wall they were near.  
  
"Kawaii..." Sue whispered.  
  
"Not often you see a little blond-haired boy in Japan," Mary thought to herself.  
  
"Everything is fi-" Mary started.  
  
"No! Everything is *not* fine!" Sue jumped in. "Is there a doctor nearby? My friend...she's hurt! She's bleeding! She might die! Please! Can you help?"  
  
"Sue..." Mary muttered, turning red with embarrassment.  
  
"Oh!" The little boy exclaimed. "We have a doctor right here. I'll go run and get him!"   
  
"No, wait!" Mary called, but it was too late. "It's really not that...bad..." she finished lamely.  
  
Mary sighed and smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead. She looked up at Sue, who was bouncing from foot to foot. Mary shook her head and laughed to herself.   
  
They both turned at the sound of the residence's front door sliding open. The little boy was back, a tentative smile on his face.  
  
"I'm Momiji!" he introduced. "And this is my home. This," he gestured to the person just behind him, "is Hatori. He's a doctor. Ha'ri-san can help you, can't you?"  
  
Momiji's head tilted up to address the newcomer and Sue and Mary's heads followed.  
  
"It's really nothing," Mary tried to explain again. "It's just a little..."   
  
And then she finally took a good look at the other person.   
  
"...uh...scratch..."   
  
Who happened to be quite a striking man.   
  
"Um...Hi." Mary was trying not to stare and failing miserably.   
  
Sue glanced between Mary and the guy Momiji called Hatori and started to smile.  
  
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun..." Sue thought.  
  
Hatori stepped forward and knelt in front of Mary, his white coat flaring.  
  
"Let me see." His voice was quiet, yet strong. And deep. Mary and Sue both almost physically melted at the sound of it.  
  
Mary offered her arm to Hatori and concentrated on not looking at Sue. Because she knew Sue would give her Hell later. And she knew she deserved it since she was practically drooling.   
  
Hatori handled the girl's arm gently, peering closely at the scrape with his right eye. His gaze shifted as he took in the situation, noticing the old bucket that must have caused the fall as well as the many pebbles on the road that contributed to the cuts the girl had suffered.  
  
"Nothing too serious," he declared, leaning back to look at the girl normally. "But we should clean it up before it gets infected. It also appears your leg is bleeding."  
  
Mary looked down. "Oh," was all she managed.  
  
Sue took another deep breath before she started with "Bloo-"  
  
"Sue, stop it!" Mary said quickly. She smiled gently at the other girl's crestfallen look.  
  
A gentle tug reminded Mary that Hatori was still holding her arm.  
  
"If you would come inside, we could clean this up easily," he offered slowly.  
  
Hatori frowned. Why was he offering to help a total stranger? It wasn't as if she was in any mortal danger. Inviting her and her friend inside could cause problems, especially if either one of them accidentally bumped into Momiji or himself.  
  
"Can you stand?" he heard himself ask.  
  
"Yes, I think so," she replied and started to stand.  
  
"Ow!" Mary exclaimed. Putting pressure on her left foot was apparently a bad idea. She gave the offending bucket another glare.   
  
"The bucket and the fall have conspired to sprain my ankle," she muttered. Mary jumped slightly at Hatori's sniff of amusement. He wasn't supposed to have heard that. She blushed fiercely and kept her gaze down, waiting for something to happen.  
  
Unfortunately, something did.  
  
A group of elementary school boys playing street soccer came careening down the street, bumping into each other and the walls in their quest to steal the ball from each other. They were close to the group of Momiji, Hatori, Sue, and Mary when one of the boys bounced off another and went flying right at the group.  
  
Sue yelped in surprise and dove out of the way. Mary, however, was not so lucky, even though Hatori tried to push her out of the way. The young boy slammed into Mary.  
  
*pyon*  
  
A pretty butterfly suddenly appeared and landed on Hatori's outstretched hand.  
  
The little boy, having recovered from his collision, stared up at Hatori.  
  
"Sorry, sir!" he exclaimed. "I didn't mean to run into you like that."  
  
"Ah," Hatori said, stunned. "Just be careful from now on."  
  
"Yes, sir! Sorry again, sir!"  
  
The group of boys scampered off.  
  
Sue, who was crouching on the ground, was afraid to look up. She'd grabbed Mary's clothes and sat on them as soon as the transformation had happened. Luckily, the little boys hadn't noticed, but there was no way Momiji and Hatori could have missed it.  
  
"Oh, crap," was the first thing that came to mind.  
  
Mary fluttered her wings in irritation. "Oh, crap," was definitely among the things she was thinking.  
  
"Um, this might be a little...awkward," she started to say.  
  
"She just- !" Momiji began.  
  
"Momiji, get back in the house *now*!" Hatori commanded. Mary saw the little boy jump at the fierceness of Hatori's voice before complying.  
  
Hatori turned and looked at the butterfly. He had so many questions, but now was not the time. He turned toward the girl's friend. What had she called her?  
  
"Sue-san," he said. She gaped at him.  
  
"Why isn't he freaking out?" Sue muttered under her breath.  
  
"Sue-san," Hatori said a little stronger. "Please bring your friend's belongings inside."  
  
He turned on his heel, remembering to shield the butterfly with his other hand so she wouldn't get blown away, and walked inside the main grounds. He was relieved to hear Sue shut the door behind him. She'd at least regained enough sense to know she should follow.  
  
"Er," the butterfly said. "You don't seem too...phased...by all this."  
  
"We can talk later," Hatori said. "I think right now the best thing to do is get you inside before you transform back."  
  
"Good idea," she said. Carefully, she walked the length of Hatori's hand and settled in his palm.  
  
"By the way," Hatori ventured. "What's your name?"  
  
"Oh! I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Mary. Nice to meet you."  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Sue made me do it. This started off mostly as a joke. I figure, if you're going to write a Mary Sue story, you may as well make it blatant rather than try to cover it up and pass it off as a non-Mary Sue story when it most definitely is.  
  
-  
  
Chapter 2 of ?  
  
-  
  
They managed to make it all the way into Hatori's office before the inevitable happened.  
  
*pyon*  
  
Hatori suddenly found himself with his arms full of naked woman. He quickly released her, spun around, and pointed toward the corner.  
  
"There is a changing screen there," he said, voice unbelievably calm.  
  
Mary made a run for it, limping slightly. Sue took her time. Mary plotted revenge.  
  
"You know," Sue started. "You should have seen the looks on your faces."  
  
"I was trying not to look at him," Mary growled, making a grab for her clothes.  
  
"But really, you guys looked so cute together," Sue teased, holding Mary's clothes just out of reach.  
  
"It's just too bad he wasn't naked, either," Sue mused, taking a mock thoughtful stance.  
  
"Sue."  
  
"I wonder what that would have looked like," Sue continued.  
  
"Sue." Mary tried to get the other girl's attention.  
  
"I mean, he's older, but he is pretty cute." Sue clearly wasn't listening.  
  
"Sue!"  
  
"What?" She waggled an eyebrow.  
  
"Did you notice?" Mary said, trying for a different approach.  
  
"Notice what? That he had his hands on your-"  
  
"That I'm still in my human form," Mary said, cutting her off.  
  
"And?" Sue was mildly interested.  
  
"We were touching. Really touching, Sue. And I. Didn't. Transform."  
  
"You know, you're right."  
  
And as Mary had predicted, Sue gestured forward with her hands giving Mary the perfect opportunity to grab her clothes without exposing herself again.  
  
"No fair!" Sue whined.  
  
Mary stuck her tongue out at Sue behind the safety of the changing screen. Mary dressed quickly, smoothing down her clothes and fluffing her hair, much to Sue's amusement, before stepping back into the room.  
  
"Nice boobs," Sue teased.  
  
"Shut up," Mary muttered.  
  
Hatori stood by the now-open sliding paper doors, gazing out across the lovely garden and pond he had as his view. His mind still reeled at the events that had transpired just moments earlier. The girl, Mary, had transformed before his eyes into a creature he knew wasn't part of the Juunishi. And, to make matters more interesting, he didn't transform when they embraced. So she had to be Juunishi, right?   
  
Momiji appeared in the doorway. "Um, Ha'ri-san, what just happened?"  
  
"I don't know, Momiji," he said, more serious than usual. "Hopefully, we'll find out."  
  
He turned and saw the two girls at the far end of the room. They appeared to be arguing about something.  
  
"Hatori-san, may I stay, please?" Momiji pleaded.  
  
Hatori looked down at the boy whose expression was as curious as he felt. Momiji had also been there when it happened, it was only right to let him hear their story, too. He would find out sooner or later anyway. Hatori nodded and Momiji clapped his hands in delight, giving the older man a bright smile. He ushered the boy in before turning toward the women.  
  
"Um, we haven't properly introduced ourselves," Mary said. She gestured toward Sue and said, "This is Sue Jones. I'm Mary Smith. Please excuse our intrusion upon your home."  
  
Both women executed perfect bows.  
  
"Welcome to the Souma house," Momiji said with a grin. His exuberance immediately put Mary and Sue at ease. The situation was awkward enough.  
  
"So," Hatori said. "Let's get right down to it."  
  
Momiji bounced around and produced several tatami mats upon which they could all sit. Tea appeared as well, and while they all got comfortable, Hatori began to speak.  
  
"Have you heard of the curse of the Juunishi?" he asked.  
  
"Just the basics," Mary answered. "We never knew if it really manifested itself, though."  
  
"It did," Hatori said. "The Souma family is afflicted by this curse. Certain members of our family, Momiji and myself included, were born possessed with the cursed spirit of a particular Chinese Zodiac sign."  
  
"Oh!" Sue piped in. "I think I remember reading about this a couple years ago in school. Well, not about the curse, but about the Chinese Zodiac and about the story of the cat. The poor kitty..." Sue started to sniffle.  
  
"Right," Hatori said slowly. "In any case, the term Juunishi is actually not accurate since it means twelve and there are actually fourteen of us."  
  
"Fourteen? You mean the cat and...someone else?" Mary asked.  
  
"Yes. The Souma family leader. He carries the ultimate burden of our curse."  
  
"What would that be?" Mary was extremely intrigued now.  
  
"Death," Hatori said simply. "Not instantly. But drawn out."  
  
"Well, that sucks," Sue remarked.  
  
"Our curse involves transformation," Hatori continued. "Whenever we are embraced by a member of the opposite sex, we turn into our Zodiac forms. The only exception is when we are embraced by Juunishi members of the opposite sex. Nothing happens."  
  
"So, that's why I stayed in my human form after I transformed back," Mary mused.  
  
"It would appear so," Hatori said. "However, it makes no sense as the butterfly is not part of the Chinese Zodiac."  
  
"Well, no, not directly..." Mary trailed off.  
  
Hatori arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Please elaborate," he requested.  
  
Mary gave Sue a sidelong glance and fidgeted a bit on her mat. She took a sip of her tea before speaking.  
  
"Well," Mary began. "Have you ever heard of the saying 'When a butterfly flaps its wings in China...'"  
  
Hatori sat back quickly.  
  
"You mean chaos theory." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
"Yes," Mary confirmed. "That's what it's called now, but really it was more like a freak accident at the time."  
  
"When the Juunishi curse first began?" Hatori asked. He was beginning to see the correlation between the butterfly and the Juunishi.  
  
"I don't get it," Momiji said, head tilted to the side.  
  
"Kawaii..." Sue murmured again.  
  
"Well, basically, what we think happened is that the flapping wings of a butterfly upset the system when the Juunishi curse first manifested itself," Mary tried explaining. "As a result, the curse, rather than staying in China, was sort of pushed out of the area and ended up elsewhere."  
  
Mary nodded in the Soumas' direction. "It landed with your family."  
  
"So, because of the butterfly's proximity to the Juunishi," Mary continued, "it became...tainted...with the curse."  
  
"And ended up with your family," Hatori concluded. Mary nodded and gave him a small smile.  
  
Hatori brooded. It made sense, in an odd sort of way. Part of him didn't know how to feel. For generations, the Souma family thought themselves alone in the world of the Juunishi curse. They knew nothing of the butterfly's existence. But here was living proof that it did exist and at least one other family had been touched by the curse. Hatori narrowed his eyes.  
  
"We ought to clean that up," he remarked, his gaze having fallen on Mary's wounds.  
  
"What?" Mary asked, confused. "Oh, right. I'd forgotten." She peered at her cuts and scrapes, some of which had started bleeding again after the transformations.  
  
"Eep!" Sue squeaked before quickly spinning around to face away from Mary and the sight of blood.  
  
Hatori climbed to his feet and retrieved some supplies, returning to kneel in front of Mary and tend to her wounds.  
  
Momiji peered around Hatori's back, still extremely curious about their new acquaintances. His eyes turned to Mary's companion and his brow furrowed as he thought.  
  
"Um, Sue-san?" Momiji started. "What about you?"  
  
Hatori idly listened as he cleaned and bandaged Mary.  
  
"Um, me?" Sue asked. "Well, I'm one, too."  
  
Hatori stopped in mid-movement.  
  
"You are?!" Momiji said with delight. "Yay!!"  
  
Suddenly, Momiji launched himself at Sue, hugging her tightly. Sue squeed and held Momiji close as they fell over.  
  
"Momiji!" Hatori scolded.  
  
"But, Ha'ri-san," the boy whined. "I can hug her and nothing happens!"  
  
"You are so cute!" Sue practically squealed as she attempted to huggle the stuffing out of Momiji.  
  
Hatori swung his gaze back to Mary and arched an eyebrow. "I can't even begin to guess what she might be," he said.  
  
Mary chuckled. "That's because she's still young." She eyed Sue and Momiji huggling and smiled softly.  
  
"She's a wolf," Mary supplied. "One of few creatures that have almost always been around, especially in mythology. Mysterious, fierce. And playful, especially as a pup."  
  
"Playful is a bit of an understatement," Hatori muttered as he watched Sue and Momiji literally rolling around and giggling wildly. "How does the wolf fit into the...mythology...of the Juunishi?"   
  
Hatori continued cleaning Mary's scrapes. "This may sting a little," he said apologetically as he prepared to disinfect a particularly deep gash.  
  
"We think it has to do with the nature of the wolf," Mary said. She hissed a little at the antiseptic. "Wolves keep to their own and thrive in the wild. If they're held in captivity, they go crazy. And wolves can't really be domesticated. Even if you breed one with a dog, you're not guaranteed to be able to have a wolf-dog as a pet."  
  
"Whereas nearly all the animals in the Juunishi can be contained," Hatori reasoned.   
  
"Right. With the exception of the dragon, which doesn't really exist in our world, all the other animals have either been domesticated or successfully held captive," Mary continued. She didn't miss the glance Hatori gave her when she mentioned the dragon.  
  
"Over the years, Sue's family has passed down the story that the wolf was asked to God's party, but because of the wolf's nature, chose not to attend. Wolves are pack animals and they don't really associate with other animals," Mary explained. "So, the wolf watched from a distance, but was still touched by the curse when the butterfly flapped its wings."  
  
Mary was looking at Sue and Momiji again, a sad look in her eyes. Hatori wondered if she felt guilty or somehow responsible for the curse being a part of Sue's life.  
  
"They fell asleep," Mary murmured.  
  
Hatori's mind suddenly registered the lack of sound in the room and he glanced to where the pair had last been. Sure enough, Sue and Momiji were curled up on the ground, still holding each other, sleeping peacefully.  
  
"What animal is he?" Mary asked.  
  
"A rabbit," Hatori answered.   
  
"That explains why he's so bouncy and playful," Mary mused. "A good companion for Sue."  
  
Hatori studied her profile.  
  
"Would you sit in the chair, please?" he asked. "I can better look at your knee that way."  
  
"Of course," she replied.  
  
The room fell silent again as Hatori worked. Mary studied his face, marveling at the total concentration he seemed to have. Upon first glance, he looked like a serious and rigid man. She'd only known him for a short while, but she could tell it was only the surface of his personality. Also, Momiji clearly loved him and looked up to him and children were often good judges of a person's real character.  
  
"So," Hatori said, unnerved by the quietness and the feel of Mary's eyes staring at him. "I can tell Sue-san is not from around here. What about you?"  
  
"I'm a displaced Siberian-American. She's a doubly displaced Netherlander," Mary replied simply. "My company transferred me to their Tokyo branch last month. I've actually been here for two, though, getting settled and familiar with the area."  
  
"Your Japanese is excellent for a non-native speaker," Hatori said with genuine admiration.  
  
"Thank you," Mary said, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "I studied it for a couple years when I was still in University and kept it up after I graduated. When I found out I'd be coming here, my company put me through a business and conversational Japanese course for several weeks, which helped a lot."  
  
Mary nodded over her shoulder. "Sue is having a harder time. She didn't decide to come to Japan until after I'd arrived. Then we had to scramble to get all the paperwork done so she could spend the next school year over here."  
  
"She'll be a junior at Kaibara High School this coming year," Mary explained. "Right now she's attending a special summer session designed to get her used to the system as well as teach her some Japanese. But since they don't really make Japanese text books for Dutch people she has to use an English one. So, doing a double translation on her part is sometimes frustrating."  
  
"How do you know each other?" Hatori asked. He gently applied the rest of the bandages as he listened to Mary's story.  
  
"We're related, actually," Mary said, trying not to pay attention to the feel of Hatori's fingers gently pressing on her knee. "One of my mother's sisters married one of her mother's brothers."  
  
"Cousins," Hatori concluded. "I suppose it makes some sort of sense that you're related. The main Juunishi curse stayed in my family, after all."  
  
"True," Mary mused. "Anyway, Sue and I, we get along pretty well, despite the fact she's nearly 10 years younger than me. She's probably the closest relative I have outside of my immediate family."  
  
Hatori did some quick mental math. If Sue was going to enter her junior year in high school, she'd be close to Yuki and Kyo's ages. And if Mary was almost 10 years older than Sue, that would put her within a few years of his age.  
  
"All better?" Mary asked, breaking Hatori out of his reverie.  
  
He realized he'd been staring at a point between his face and her knee for the past several moments. And that his hand was still on her leg where he'd just finished applying the last bandage.   
  
"Ah," he replied. Hatori busied himself with putting away his supplies.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of me," Mary said formally and stood. She attempted to step forward, but her sprained ankle chose that moment to rear its ugly head and she stumbled. "Whoa!"  
  
Hatori whirled just in time to catch Mary by the shoulders. Her momentum carried her forward and she found herself resting against his chest. Mary could hear his heartbeat pulsing loudly beneath her ear. They stayed that way for a long moment and Hatori resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her.   
  
Sue suddenly yawned loudly and stretched. Mary quickly stepped back from Hatori, face flaming, and knew at once Sue had seen the whole fiasco. Sue winked at her and Mary blushed even more.  
  
"I'm hungry," Momiji exclaimed, jumping up off the floor.  
  
"You're not the only one," Sue murmured only loud enough for Mary to hear.  
  
Mary stared daggers at Sue.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 2 


	3. Chapter 3

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Holy crap! Two reviews and neither of them are flames! *faints* By the way, I just got back from Otakon 2003 and...you would not believe the amount of Fruits Basket crap I bought. And it's so not fair...there was a distinct lack of Hatori and Shigure. *huff*  
  
-  
  
Chapter 3 of ?  
  
-  
  
"Mary-san, are you hurt?" Momiji asked, coming up close to Mary and putting his small hand over hers. Mary melted.  
  
"Just a little sprain, Momiji-kun," she replied.  
  
"I'm glad," Momiji breathed, smiling sweetly at her. Sue melted into a puddle right next to Mary.  
  
"I know!" Momiji exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Since you're hurt and you're hungry, I'll bring food here!"  
  
"Aww, that's so sweet Momiji, but-" Mary started.  
  
"Ne, ne, Ha'ri-san, can we eat here?" He was tugging at Hatori's white lab coat, eyes wider than ever. Mary and Sue resisted the urge to "aww" out loud. Hatori nodded.  
  
"Yay!" Momiji yelled, jumping up and down. "Sue-san, you can help, too, ok?"  
  
Sue was powerless to resist. "Ok!" And before she knew it, Momiji had taken hold of her hand and was tugging her out of the room at a rapid pace.  
  
Mary watched the pair go, smiling at Sue's giggling.  
  
And then she realized she was completely alone with Hatori.  
  
"He's very energetic," Mary remarked. She immediately felt stupid.  
  
"Uhn," Hatori replied. "He's a little more excited today due to the arrival of you and your friend."  
  
"I can understand that," Mary contemplated. "Being a Juunishi is hard. Hiding it, being afraid to touch other people..."  
  
Hatori stared at Mary. It was still difficult for him to believe an outsider could know how he...how the Juunishi could feel. But she knew because she was one. One that was never acknowledged anywhere. It was almost as if she and Sue were kept secret...even more secret than the curse.  
  
The silence between them started to stretch and Hatori could feel the situation getting away from him. But he had no idea what to say.  
  
"Would you...like to sit down?" he finally uttered.  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if I could see your garden," Mary ventured. "It looks so pretty and peaceful."  
  
"Of course," Hatori said and without hesitation he stepped forward and offered his arm to Mary for support.  
  
Mary smiled gratefully at Hatori and held onto his arm as they hobbled toward the doorway. She leaned on him a little more than was necessary, but this was the first time she'd ever been able to be close to a man and not be afraid she would transform. It was...liberating.  
  
Hatori thought similarly, wondering at the sensation of feeling her so close to him yet knowing he didn't have to worry that she would get too close.  
  
They reached the edge of the platform just outside of Hatori's office. Mary reluctantly let go of Hatori's arm and used her other hand to support herself on one of the wooden posts. She breathed in deeply, reveling in the unusually cool summer day.  
  
"You're so lucky to have something like this outside your office," she said quietly.  
  
Hatori stepped closer to better hear her.  
  
"It is...relaxing. Especially on a busy day," he murmured.  
  
They stared out across the little garden with its green grass and boulders of every size. She smiled when she saw the little pond. Mary wondered if it had koi.  
  
Hatori turned his gaze toward Mary. He studied her while she was preoccupied with the view, and he wondered just what it was about her that piqued his interest. It was more than the fact that she was a Juunishi, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.   
  
Mary sighed happily and Hatori started at the sound. For a moment, he'd lost himself. Something he did not do often. He frowned slightly.  
  
"You should probably sit and elevate your foot," he mentioned.  
  
"Uhn," Mary agreed. She was surprised when Hatori offered his hand to her and helped her sit.  
  
"Let me see," Hatori heard himself say.   
  
Mary glanced at Hatori sharply, unsure if she'd actually heard the words she thought she did. But he was sitting next to her and reaching for her leg, so he must have.  
  
His hands were warm and gentle. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wooden support. Mary sighed again as Hatori began exploring her injured ankle.  
  
"Is it a sharp pain or a throbbing pain?" he asked.  
  
"Sharp," Mary replied lazily.  
  
"You probably have some tense muscles in your ankle that are overcompensating when you try to walk," Hatori explained.  
  
"Those aren't the only tense muscles I have," Mary thought to herself. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and attempted to think different thoughts. Hatori's hands on her foot were definitely not helping the situation.  
  
Carefully, Hatori applied pressure to the points above and below her ankle, trying to coax the muscles into relaxing.   
  
Mary's eyes popped wide open at the sensation. "Wow," she breathed.   
  
Hatori kept his focus on his task, not wanting to ruin the moment by saying something inappropriate.  
  
Mary settled back against the wooden beam and closed her eyes. Hatori's touches were consistent and soothing; she soon found herself dozing off in the warm sunlight.  
  
+  
  
The jingle of plates and utensils echoed lightly through the corridor. Momiji threw open the sliding door to Hatori's office and was about to loudly announce their return when Sue stopped him, a smile on her face and a finger to her lips. He looked back into the room and saw Hatori outside with Mary, her foot in his lap.  
  
Sue was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, she's never going to live this down," she thought to herself.  
  
"Let's put the plates down before we drop them, Momiji-chan," she whispered.  
  
"Uhn!" he agreed happily.  
  
Sue kept stealing glances at the unaware couple and noticed Mary's head nodding off.  
  
"Umm, Momiji-chan," she beckoned. "Could I get a tour of your house? I've only gotten to see the kitchen."  
  
"Sure..." Momiji replied, hesitating a little bit. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he was happy to show Sue around the house. She was fun to be around.  
  
Momiji gave Hatori, still unaware of their presence, another look. He was staring at Mary with a look Momiji'd never seen before. The young boy shrugged and took Sue by the hand and led her out of the doctor's office once again, sliding the door shut quietly behind him.  
  
The Souma grounds were immense. Sue stood in the middle of the courtyard and spun around slowly, taking in everything.  
  
"It's...it's...huge!" She breathed.  
  
"Uhn!" Momiji exclaimed with pride. "And it's all Souma property. Almost all of the Juunishi Souma live here."  
  
"Almost?"  
  
"Ah. Shi-chan, Kyo, and Yuki live in their own house not too far from here. Ri-chan lives with his parents. And Rin lives outside these grounds, too," Momiji explained.  
  
"Wow. I would love to have all my relatives so close by," Sue said with wonder.  
  
"It's a lot of fun," Momiji said.  
  
Momiji's head snapped to the side. "Oh! It's Hatsuharu!"  
  
"Haru!" Momiji called, waving his hands enthusiastically.  
  
Sue spied a young man in the distance, dressed all in black. As he came closer, she realized he had white and black hair.  
  
"What's up with that hair?" she thought to herself.  
  
"Haru, this is Sue-san!" Momiji introduced. "Sue-san, this is Hatsuharu! He's one of the Juunishi, too!"  
  
Haru threw Momiji an alarmed look.   
  
"It's ok, she knows," Momiji said, smiling widely at Haru. "And..."  
  
Momiji clung to Sue. Haru's eyes widened further.  
  
"She's one of us!" Momiji squealed in delight.  
  
Sue hugged Momiji close, grinning like a fool. "You are so cute, Momiji-san!"  
  
"She's a Souma?" Haru asked.  
  
"Nope!" Momiji exclaimed. "She's a secret Juunishi! Her friend is, too, isn't she Sue-san?"  
  
"Uhn!" Sue agreed.  
  
"Me and Ha'ri-san saw her turn into a beautiful butterfly, just like that!" Momiji giggled and spun around in a lively circle.  
  
"Ah..." Haru said, completely confused.  
  
"Speaking of Hatori-san," Sue said, checking her watch. "We should go back. I'm still hungry!"  
  
"Oh!" Momiji exclaimed, clapping his hands over his mouth. "I forgot about the food! Ha'ri-san and Mary-san must be hungry, too!"  
  
Momiji spun around to face Haru and grinned. "I'll see you later, Haru!"  
  
"It was nice to meet you, Hatsuharu-san," Sue called as Momiji pulled her back toward Hatori's.  
  
"Ah," Haru said, blinking.  
  
Hatsuharu frowned and wondered if anyone else had seen the same thing he had. Shaking his head, he turned and went on his way. He didn't notice the window on Akito's house slowly closing.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 3 


	4. Chapter 4

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Sap sap sap and more sap...with some mush thrown in for good measure.  
  
-  
  
Chapter 4 of ?  
  
-  
  
Sue set her rice bowl down on her tray and stretched.   
  
"Ahhh, that was a good meal. Thank you very much," she said with a small bow.  
  
"Are you sure you ate enough?" Mary deadpanned, scanning the multiple rice bowls and dishes on Sue's tray.  
  
Hatori said nothing, choosing to re-examine his rice bowl and make sure he'd gotten all the grains.  
  
Mary snickered and sat back, bracing herself on her hands. She scanned the room, her eyes landing on the clock on Hatori's desk. She sat up when she noticed the lack of shadows on the floor.  
  
"Oh, my goodness!" Mary exclaimed. "When did it get so late? Sue, we have to go before it gets too dark."  
  
Sue glanced outside and noticed the purple shadows marking the end of sunset. "That...was a long meal."  
  
Mary turned to Hatori who was studying her with a blank expression. "I'm so sorry to have imposed on you for so long!"  
  
"It's all right, it was nothing," Hatori replied. "And don't worry about the dark. I can drive you home."  
  
"Oh, no," Mary said, feeling embarrassed and mortified. "You've already done so much for us and we don't even know you. We couldn't possibly ask for a ride!"  
  
"Nonsense," Hatori retorted. "Where do you live?"  
  
"A couple blocks from Kaibara High School near the Yura River," Sue answered.  
  
"It's not too far, but it will be dark before you're even halfway home," Hatori mused.  
  
"Please, let Ha'ri-san drive you," Momiji pleaded. "It would be scary to walk home in the dark. And, you're still hurt, aren't you Mary-san?"  
  
Sue gave Momiji a sweet smile. Mary's defenses were completely destroyed by the pure concern reflected on Momiji's face.  
  
"Oh, all right," Mary finally said.  
  
-  
  
Sue carried Momiji on her back while Hatori led the way to the car, Mary leaning on his arm for support.  
  
"You're going to Kaibara High School, too, Sue-san?" Momiji asked.  
  
"Uhn!" Sue replied. "I still can't believe you're in high school!"  
  
Momiji giggled. "Touru-san said the same thing."  
  
"Who's Touru-san?" Sue asked.  
  
"She's one of my friends! She lives in Shi-chan's house, but she's not a Souma."  
  
"So, she knows about the curse?" Sue was amazed.  
  
"Mm hmm! But she likes us anyway," Momiji said happily.  
  
"Who wouldn't?" Sue wondered aloud before spinning in circles, eliciting peals of laughter from Momiji.  
  
"This kid is unnaturally cute," Sue thought to herself. But she didn't care. He was cute and cuddly and loved to huggle as much as she did. Sue was reveling in the novelty of holding a boy close. She just wished he was older.  
  
Momiji hummed a happy, nameless tune and Sue grinned. Her grin widened when she caught sight of the couple in front of her. Sue wondered how mad her cousin would get if she drew a few suggestive pictures and left them lying around the apartment. She grinned at the prospect.  
  
"How is your ankle?" Hatori asked, tilting his head toward Mary.  
  
"A little sore, but much better than before. The...uh...massage you gave it worked wonders," Mary gushed. She was ever so grateful for the quickly darkening sky to hide her rising blush.  
  
"I'm glad," Hatori replied. "You should try to stay off your feet tomorrow if you can."  
  
"Uhn," Mary agreed. "Tomorrow's a lazy Sunday so I should be ok. Thank you for your concern."  
  
Hatori smiled, but his expression was hidden in the shadows of the trees they passed under.  
  
They finally reached the car: a large, black sedan. Hatori helped Mary into the passenger side seat as Sue and Momiji climbed into the back seat.  
  
Mary gazed out the window as Hatori made his way around the car. She rubbed her arm unconsciously.  
  
"Missing his warmth already?" Sue's laughter tinged voice whispered in her ear. Mary vowed to torment the girl appropriately later.  
  
The car shifted as Hatori sat in the driver's seat. He pulled a pair of glasses from the armrest and a few moments later, he started the car and they were off.  
  
"Ooh, glasses," Mary and Sue were both thinking.  
  
The drive to Mary's apartment passed in comfortable silence. Mary spoke softly every once in a while to direct Hatori to the right place. She glanced to the back seat and smiled. Sue was curled up on the back seat with Momiji in her lap, both dozing lightly.  
  
"They sure do sleep a lot," Mary murmured.  
  
"Ahh," Hatori remarked. "Momiji has always been able to sleep quickly or wake up quickly, ever since he was a baby."  
  
"You've taken care of him the whole time?" Mary was intrigued by Hatori's relationship with Momiji and the other Juunishi.  
  
"The family has taken care of each other, really," Hatori explained. "But since I've become a doctor, I take care of all the Souma, especially the Juunishi."  
  
Mary nodded.  
  
"We Juunishi have a special connection with each other, due to our unique circumstances," Hatori continued. "Living in the same complex added to our feelings of closeness. This was especially true since not all of us could grow up with the love of those we want to be loved by the most."  
  
"Parents," Mary supplied.  
  
Hatori stole a glance at Mary. "You?" he prompted. She shook her head and somehow he felt relieved.  
  
"Sue," she said. Hatori sighed heavily.  
  
"Her mother and brother are fabulous," Mary said quietly, fiddling with her hands. "But..."  
  
"I understand," Hatori said and left it at that. Mary was perfectly content to leave the subject alone.  
  
Momiji's head suddenly popped up between the front seats.  
  
"Where are we?" he said, eyes wide. A yawn was the only indication he'd been sleeping a short while before.  
  
"Looks like we're almost there," Sue's voice answered.  
  
Mary peered over the seat at Sue. "Comfortable?"  
  
"Very." Sue was completely sprawled on the vast expanse that was the back seat of the Souma car.  
  
Mary leered at Sue and wiggled her eyebrows. Sue bit her finger and tried not to laugh too loud.  
  
"What's so funny?" Momiji asked, curious at the sudden laughter.  
  
"It's not important," Mary said. She pointed out the window and addressed Hatori. "If you turn right at the next corner, my apartment complex is the last one on the right."  
  
"Um, Sue-san, Mary-san..."Momiji began.  
  
"Hmm?" Sue prompted.  
  
"May I please use your bathroom?" the boy asked, his forehead furrowing. Momiji started to fidget.  
  
Mary dangled the keys in the air and as the car rolled to a stop, Sue burst forth from the car, grabbing the keys with one hand and Momiji with the other.  
  
"Too much tea," Hatori said.   
  
Mary almost burst out laughing. She threw Hatori an incredulous look but he was completely straight-faced. She eyed him carefully, grinning at his remark. But just as she was turning away, she could've sworn he winked at her.  
  
Having seen Sue run up a flight of stairs, Hatori surmised they lived on at least the second floor. He got out of the car and made his way to Mary's door.  
  
"I think you'll need some help getting up those stairs," he offered.  
  
Mary blushed. "I'm so sorry to burden you with all this. You must think me inept."  
  
"Not at all," Hatori said, pulling Mary out of the car. "Things happen, and it's really no bother, I assure you."  
  
"This guy is unreal," Mary thought to herself. "And why is it that I feel I can talk to him so easily? It doesn't hurt that he's completely hot, too..."  
  
They made their way to the foot of the stairs, Mary trying out her ankle with each step. It was true that it no longer sent shooting pains up her leg, but it was still very sore. She looked up the flight of stairs with trepidation.  
  
"What floor?" Hatori asked.  
  
"Just the second, thankfully," Mary responded.  
  
"If that's the case..."  
  
Mary gasped in surprised as Hatori suddenly bent down and picked her up in his arms. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as he settled her weight against him, ruffling the long hairs by his face. Hatori tossed his head to get the hairs away from his eyes. Mary's arm encircled his neck for support, her other hand clutched at his shirt front. She flattened out her palm when she realized she wasn't going to fall. For a moment, they stared at each other.  
  
"I apologize if I startled you," Hatori said before beginning the climb up the stairs.  
  
To tell the truth, not even Hatori knew what in the world he was doing. What had possessed him to make such a bold move toward a woman he hardly knew? He knew it would have been a struggle to get up the stairs otherwise, but part of him knew that lessening her pain was not the sole purpose of picking her up and holding her close. Hatori would think on it later. Right now, he had a task to do.  
  
Mary finally relaxed and rested her head on Hatori's shoulder. She stayed quiet, not wanting to break his concentration. She liked this feeling, of his arms holding her safely and snugly against his chest. Mary almost felt like crying. She'd never had closeness like this with a man before, had never had a chance because of her situation. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing herself not to cry.  
  
"I'm not hurting you, am I?"  
  
"I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry." Mary repeated those words like a mantra in her head.  
  
"Not at all," she managed.  
  
"Which apartment?" Hatori asked.  
  
"4B," Mary replied, nodding her head toward the back of the landing.  
  
The door to her apartment was slightly ajar. Mary wasn't surprised, knowing that Sue knew she was just behind her and the urgency of the bathroom situation. Hatori nudged the door open with his foot and entered her apartment. Mary chose to stare at her hand on Hatori's chest rather than on Sue, whom she could see in her peripheral vision.   
  
Hatori surveyed the living room. It was a moderately sized room with a low table, some cushions, and a couch in the corner. He carefully maneuvered toward the couch and set Mary down. Sue sauntered over with a few pillows and propped them up around Mary, joining her on the couch.  
  
"Thank you, Souma-sensei," Mary said softly.  
  
Hatori's eyes widened slightly at the formality in Mary's voice.  
  
"You're welcome, Smith-san," he replied in kind.  
  
Mary bit her lip.  
  
"Where's Momiji?" Hatori asked, having not seen him in the room.  
  
"He's looking at the view from our balcony," Sue responded, pointing down the hallway.  
  
Without a word, Hatori went after the boy.   
  
As soon as he was out of earshot, Sue turned a particularly mischievous look at Mary.   
  
"What?" Mary said defiantly.  
  
Sue hummed the first few bars of the Wedding March...and suddenly found herself with a face full of pillow.  
  
"He carried you over the threshold, Nee-chan," Sue taunted. Another pillow landed square in Sue's face.  
  
At that moment, Hatori returned, carrying a sleeping Momiji in his arms.  
  
"It appears he fell asleep on your balcony," Hatori said by way of apology.  
  
"He's so darn cute!" Sue breathed. Hatori gave her a small smile.  
  
"Oh, here," Hatori said, fishing something out of his pocket. He strode over to the couch and handed a card to Mary. "Call me if your ankle doesn't get better or if you need anything else."  
  
Mary stared at the card stupidly. Sue went into action, grabbing Mary's business card case which had been lying on the table.  
  
"You're in luck," Sue exclaimed. "She got new cards today."  
  
She took out a new card and handed it to Hatori. He wore a puzzled expression.  
  
"Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you," Sue said with a sweet smile. "Or Momiji. You must let us thank you somehow. You've done so much for us today."  
  
"Ahh," Hatori said slowly. "Like I said to Smith-san...it was nothing. But, thank you."   
  
Sue did a mental leap of joy as Hatori placed the card into his shirt pocket.  
  
"I must get back to the main house and put this one to bed," Hatori said, shifting Momiji to a more comfortable position.  
  
Mary and Sue suppressed sighs and squees of "kawaii" at the picture of Momiji sleeping in Hatori's arms.  
  
"Thank you again, so much," Mary said. She bowed from her seat and gave him a warm smile. Hatori stared back at her and for a moment he saw nothing else.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Sue said, rising to her feet. Hatori blinked quickly and, realizing he'd been staring, nonchalantly turned the other way.  
  
Sue smirked at Mary before moving to walk Hatori and Momiji to the door.  
  
"It was a pleasure meeting you both," Sue said formally with a bow.  
  
"And you two, as well," Hatori responded. "I hope we meet again."  
  
"We do, too," Sue said, grinning.  
  
"Have a safe trip home and a good night," Mary called from the sofa.  
  
Hatori nodded his head in acknowledgement and made his departure.   
  
Sue slowly shut the door and locked it, turning to face her cousin.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"I didn't say anything!" Sue exclaimed.  
  
"No, but I know you're going to. So shut up." Mary was smirking, now.  
  
"He's cute."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"I mean, Momiji's cute, too, but in that little boy way."  
  
"Sue..."  
  
"But Hatori's a grown man." Sue was practically stalking her way back to Mary. "I think he has the hots for you."  
  
"Sue-kichi-chan!" Mary exclaimed, blushing furiously.  
  
"I mean, he took care of you, he gave you a foot massage," Sue recounted, ticking items off on her fingers. "You know, in some cultures, that's practically a marriage proposal."  
  
"Suuuue."  
  
"He's quiet, but he's kind."  
  
"I know..." Mary moaned, flopping back on the couch and covering her eyes with her hand.  
  
"And you know what the best part is?" Sue was bouncing on her toes.  
  
Mary didn't answer, knowing she'd get one soon enough.  
  
"You can touch him!"  
  
Mary burst into tears.  
  
"Er..." Sue was completely flabbergasted. That wasn't quite the response she was expecting.  
  
Quickly, she sat on the couch and Mary grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. And then Sue knew. She'd been feeling the same way, on another level with Momiji, but she understood. To finally be able to have something you'd never been able to have before, yet wanted for practically all of your life, was pretty overwhelming.  
  
Sue realized she was crying, too, but she didn't care and neither did Mary. They comforted each other and cried together, each fervently hoping this wasn't the only time they'd see the Soumas.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 4 


	5. Chapter 5

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: The part where I introduce Angst. A short bit.  
  
[Mary] Holy crap, another review and it's still not a flame.  
  
[Sue] Hee!  
  
[Mary] They like it...they really like it...there must be something wrong.  
  
[Sue] WTF are you talking about? *smack*  
  
-  
  
Chapter 5 of ?  
  
-  
  
The light was on in Hatori's office when he came back from returning Momiji to his guardians. For a moment, he stood looking at the dim light. Only one person could be waiting for him: Akito.  
  
Cautiously, Hatori entered the office. Akito was indeed in the room, hovering just outside the small lamp's circle of light. He was holding Kana's photograph.  
  
"Akito-san," Hatori greeted.  
  
Akito turned to face Hatori, a thin smile on his lips. His eyes were completely blank.  
  
"Ahh, Hatori," Akito said. "I hear we had some interesting visitors today."  
  
Hatori's heart froze.  
  
"I was disappointed I didn't get a chance to meet them," Akito continued. He stroked the glass over Kana's face slowly. Hatori's skin crawled.  
  
"It is time for your examination," Hatori said, voice cold.  
  
Akito sniffed in amusement and strode over to a mat, kimono dragging on the floor. Hatori concentrated on logging Akito's vitals, ignoring the looks the Souma leader was giving him.  
  
Akito's eyes traced the lines of Hatori's face. His smile widened the longer Hatori ignored him. Deliberately, he caressed the edges of the picture frame he still held, bared his teeth when Hatori faltered. A slight frown appeared when Hatori continued with the nightly examination as if nothing had happened.  
  
"The blonde one was cute," Akito said suddenly. "What was the other one like?"  
  
Hatori willed himself not to break the pencil lead as he wrote in the medical log.  
  
"Is she pretty?" Akito pressed. "Is she as pretty as Kana?"  
  
Hatori stopped writing, warning flags that had gone up the moment he saw Akito were now blaring at him with deafening sounds. But they wouldn't drown out Akito's words.  
  
"Your vitals have stabilized," Hatori croaked.  
  
"I've been feeling good." The words sent a chill down Hatori's spine.  
  
Akito rose. Hatori followed suit and busied himself with returning his instruments. In his peripheral vision, he saw Akito move back to the bookshelf and replace Kana's photo.  
  
"I think I shall retire now," Akito said, striding past Hatori toward the door.   
  
As he passed by, Akito slowed and stretched out his hand, running a finger along Hatori's jaw.  
  
"You know," he whispered. "I was the one who asked Kana to come and learn from you."  
  
And then, with the soft click of the door sliding shut, Akito was gone.  
  
Hatori expelled a breath he didn't realize he was holding and sank to the floor on one knee. Akito was scheming and Hatori knew only bad could come of it. And that last comment about Kana…  
  
Slowly, Hatori lowered himself to the ground fully and stretched out on his back, his right hand over his eyes.   
  
Kana.  
  
Hatori cherished his memories of Kana, though the ending was bitter and painful. Hatori hadn't known Akito arranged for her to study under him. He'd been surprised when he was told she would be arriving.  
  
In retrospect, Hatori realized Akito acted much like he was now. Secret smiles and looks. Innocent questions about Kana and what Hatori thought of her.  
  
And in that instant, Hatori realized Akito had been playing with him, had always been playing with him. Hatori had always been quiet and serious, a steady man. When Kana came into his life, everything changed. It had been like being born again.   
  
Akito had watched the whole thing, kept his thoughts to himself, content to let things be. But in the end, everything went the way Akito dictated. Hatori realized that now.   
  
No one dared go against the word of the Souma family leader. What Akito wanted, Akito got, even if it meant sacrificing one's happiness…one's life for the family. For Akito. He was the one burdened with the severest punishment of the curse, wasn't he?  
  
Hatori sighed and rolled to his side. Something fell out of his pocket. Frowning, he picked up the object and brought it into his vision.  
  
Mary's card.  
  
A sense of horror and dread began creeping through Hatori's body.  
  
"Is she as pretty as Kana?"  
  
Akito's words echoed through his mind and mocked him.  
  
What was Akito planning?  
  
-   
  
End Chapter 5 


	6. Chapter 6

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: To compensate for the last chapter, which was so short, I present...a longer one.  
  
-  
  
Chapter 6 of ?  
  
-  
  
Sunday morning dawned, casting its rays annoyingly into Mary's eyes. She and Sue were curled up on the floor of the living room, having cried themselves to sleep the previous night. Mary sat up and winced. Sleeping on the floor was not the most comfortable of things. Carefully, she tucked the blanket she'd pulled from the couch around Sue's sleeping form and slowly stood, remembering not to put too much weight on her injured foot.  
  
Unconsciously, her head turned toward the coffee table where her eyes set upon Hatori's card. Mary grabbed the card and stared at it. Professional lettering and wording. No cheesy slogan or image to mar the surface. Mary smiled softly, remembering the kindness the good doctor had shown toward her.  
  
Slowly, she made her way to her bedroom and flopped on her bed. And that's how Sue found her a little while later, dozing with a small smile on her face, still clutching Hatori's card in her hand.  
  
Sue grinned.  
  
Mary opened her eyes slowly, surprised she'd fallen asleep again. She was aware of a pair of eyes staring at her with a distinct air of amusement.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Have nice Hatori dreams?" Sue teased.  
  
Despite all her efforts, Mary blushed. "Not especially, no. Why do you ask?"  
  
Sue pointed to Mary's hand. Wherein she was mortified to see she was holding Hatori's business card.  
  
"I'm such a fangirl," Mary bemoaned.  
  
Sue giggled.  
  
"Should I buy you a frame to put it in so it doesn't get worn?" Sue continued to tease.  
  
"No, but you can go and buy more donuts. I think we're out," Mary said, stretching.  
  
"What? We're out of donuts?!" Sue looked frantic. She ran to the kitchen and began making a list of things to buy.  
  
"Anything else you want?" she called.  
  
"I don't think so," Mary said.  
  
"Ok," Sue said, slightly breathless. "I think I got everything. I'm off!"  
  
"Come back soon!" Mary yelled, grinning as she heard the door slam. She flopped back on her bed, after carefully putting Hatori's card on the nightstand, and promptly fell asleep again.  
  
+  
  
Sue hummed as she strolled down the street. The day was turning out to be yet another beautiful one. It was neither too hot nor too cold, just the way she liked it. She entered the local store, grabbed a basket, and immediately started filling it. Donuts first, of course.  
  
As she searched the fruit section for strawberries for Mary, she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Sue-san!"  
  
Sue immediately melted.   
  
"Momiji-chan!"  
  
The two embraced warmly, eliciting smiles from those around them.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Sue asked.  
  
"I'm buying supplies!" He said, holding up his basket. It was filled with all manner of things: construction paper, glue, glitter, markers, scissors, etc.  
  
"Supplies for what?" She couldn't stop grinning.  
  
"I'm making a 'Get Well' card for Mary-san!" Momiji exclaimed.  
  
"You are so sweet!" Sue nearly screamed. Instead, she grabbed Momiji and hugged him tight once more.  
  
"Would you help me with the card?" Momiji asked.  
  
"Of course. I'm almost done," Sue said, her smile threatening to split her face in two.  
  
The pair exited the store with their purchases and found a spot under a shady tree where they could make Mary's card. Sue and Momiji nibbled on a donut while they worked, drawing butterflies and outlining them with glitter. Momiji also drew several bunnies and smilie faces just to make sure Mary would be happy when she saw the card.  
  
"Do you think she'll like it?" Momiji asked, a hopeful look on his face.  
  
"She'll love it," Sue assured.  
  
"Um..."  
  
Sue tilted her head, encouraging Momiji to continue.  
  
"Would it be ok if I came over and delivered the card now?" he asked, hopping from foot to foot.  
  
"Absolutely!" Sue said, clapping her hands with joy.  
  
"Yay!" Momiji said, a huge grin on his face.  
  
Sue held her hand out to Momiji and the pair skipped off toward Mary's apartment, hand in hand.  
  
+  
  
"I'm home!" Sue called as she entered the apartment.  
  
Mary was sitting on the couch and turned toward the doorway with a smile on her face. "Welcome ho- Momiji-kun!"  
  
Mary instantly felt a thousand times happier and the room seemed a thousand times brighter. Amazing what an extremely happy kid can do for a place.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, a huge grin on her face. She noticed Sue was also grinning like a maniac.   
  
"I made you a card!" Momiji exclaimed and ran toward her.  
  
"Aww, you are so sweet, Momiji-kun," Mary said, catching the boy and hugging him close. Sue was right, he was addictive to hug. "Thank you so much."  
  
"Sue-san helped me with it!"  
  
Mary opened the card and grinned even wider, if that was possible.  
  
"This is the best 'Get Well' card I've ever gotten, Momiji-kun. Thank you again," Mary gushed.  
  
Momiji hugged her again. "I'm glad. Is your foot all better, now?"  
  
"Not quite, but almost," Mary admitted. "It's just something that will take a little time to heal."  
  
"What are you going to do tomorrow?" Momiji asked, clearly concerned. "You have to go to work, don't you?"  
  
Mary smiled. "Luckily, I can do my work from home, so I can stay off my foot like Hatori-sensei suggested."  
  
Momiji bit his lip and nodded, still not convinced.   
  
"Don't worry about me, Momiji-kun," Mary reassured. "I'll be fine. Especially since Hatori-sensei helped me so much yesterday!"  
  
Sue, who'd been putting the groceries away, leered at Mary, who chose to ignore it.  
  
Momiji scooted off Mary's lap. "I have to go now, I'm sorry," he said, smile faltering. "I promised Ha'ri-san I'd only be gone an hour and it's almost an hour."  
  
"Do you want me to walk you home?" Sue offered, clearly not willing to let the cute boy go just yet.  
  
"It's ok, Sue-san," he replied, smiling at her brightly. Sue melted, again. "I can make it by myself!"  
  
"Ok," Sue said reluctantly. "But be careful!"  
  
"I will!" Momiji agreed before hugging Sue again. "And I hope your foot feels better very soon, Mary-san!"  
  
"Uhn!" Mary agreed.  
  
The pair watched as Momiji exited their apartment, bright smiles and all. The door closed and the room suddenly seemed darker.  
  
"My face hurts," Mary remarked.  
  
"Me, too, but strangely, I don't care," Sue said. They stared at each other with semi-permanent smiles in place.  
  
The rest of the day passed peacefully and in a boring fashion. Sue spent most of the early evening going over the homework she had to turn in the next day. Mary helped when she could but spent most of the time practicing her drawing.  
  
"Jawlines suck," Mary muttered randomly.  
  
"Draw Hatori's," Sue replied.  
  
Mary ignored her. She erased the line and tried again.  
  
"Or better yet, draw naked Hatori."  
  
A big, thick, jagged line ended up all over Mary's paper. She sighed and turned to a new page.  
  
The next morning came all too soon and Sue dragged herself out of bed at an unnatural hour. Mary was already up, having showered and gotten breakfast ready.   
  
"Coffee...need...coffee," Sue mumbled in a zombie-like state.  
  
Mary pointed to the table where Sue's meal was already laid out: mug of coffee and donuts. Sue inhaled the meal and immediately felt better.  
  
"What are you doing up?" Sue asked. "You don't have to go to work today."  
  
Mary gave Sue a side-long glance. "I may not have to actually physically go to work, but I still have to do work."  
  
"Hff!"  
  
"I called my manager and let him know that I wouldn't be coming in today and possibly tomorrow. No problem, but I do have a teleconference I need to listen in on in about half an hour," Mary explained. "At least I can do that in my pajamas."  
  
Sue grinned. "You could do it naked, too."  
  
Mary snickered. "Go get ready. You'll be late."  
  
Some minutes later, Sue emerged, freshly showered and dressed in her school uniform.  
  
"How do I look?" Sue asked, posing.   
  
"Cute as ever," Mary said, winking.  
  
"You rock," Sue said, hugging her cousin. "Be good to your foot." Sue paused. "Or not...then you could call Hatori and have him play doctor on you."  
  
"Go!" Mary scolded, laughing.  
  
"Be back this afternoon," Sue said and waved goodbye.  
  
"Be safe...and be good!" Mary called.  
  
A half hour later found Mary lazing on the couch, still in pajamas, but with a notebook in hand and a phone to her ear. She idly drew in the notebook as she listened in on a completely boring meeting. She had, maybe, all of two sentences to add to the conversation, but she didn't mind. An hour and a sore ear later, the call finally ended and Mary was free to finish her work for the day whenever she wanted. She stared at her notebook with a funny look on her face.   
  
"Man, he's really on my mind," she said aloud.  
  
Mary had scribbled Hatori's name all over the page in hiragana and katakana. She'd even gone as far as trying to draw him, but she knew she had some of the proportions wrong. Maybe she could get him to pose one day.  
  
"Yeah, right," Mary thought. "If Sue knew I was thinking that she'd suggest I get him to pose nude."  
  
Tossing the notebook aside, Mary set to work. She'd rather get it out of the way now so she could relax for the rest of the day than have it sitting around anyway. Two hours passed and Mary, engrossed in her work, didn't notice until her stomach started to complain. Amazed at the passage of time, Mary quickly finished up the rest of her task, saved it, and set to making some food.  
  
Mary was in the kitchen slicing strawberries when a knock sounded on the door. She munched on a strawberry as she made her way to the door, curious who her mid-day visitor was. She peeked out the peep hole and immediately wished she were wearing more clothing.  
  
"Um, just a moment," she called frantically.  
  
There, outside her door, right now, was Hatori. It would take too long to hobble back to her room and grab a robe and get back, but at the same time she was feeling incredibly self-conscious at the moment.  
  
"Oh, Hell," she thought and threw open the door.  
  
"Souma-sensei," she greeted and bowed. "This is a surprise."  
  
Hatori's eyes widened slightly at Mary's attire.  
  
"I apologize for the...uh...lack of...clothes," Mary stammered, feeling extremely stupid.  
  
"I should apologize. I should have called," Hatori managed.   
  
Truth be told, he was quite pleased. She was wearing an oversized men's dress shirt that came down to about mid-thigh. Granted, the previous day her shorts came down to about that length, too, but somehow this was different. Much different.  
  
Mary smiled brightly. "Come in, please," she invited, gesturing with the remains of a strawberry.  
  
"Thank you," he said, and bowed to her before entering and removing his shoes.  
  
"What brings you by?" Mary asked, curious.  
  
"Momiji told me you would be working from home today," Hatori started. "And he made me promise I would come and check on you." Hatori gave Mary a slight smile.  
  
"Momiji-kun is so cute and very sweet to be so concerned about me," Mary remarked. "And you're very sweet, too, for taking time out of your schedule to actually come see me."  
  
Hatori ducked his head in embarrassment, covering it up by placing his bag on the ground next to the couch.  
  
"I did promise," Hatori explained. "But I was also curious. More so when Momiji reported you were still having trouble with your ankle."  
  
"Oh," Mary said. "Well, thank you very much for your concern."   
  
"Man, that sounds so stupid," Mary thought to herself.  
  
"Lunch?" Hatori asked, nodding toward the strawberry still in Mary's hand.  
  
"Uhn," Mary replied, popping it into her mouth. "Would you like some? I was just making lunch."  
  
"I'm fine, thank you," Hatori said distractedly. He'd unconsciously watched closely as Mary ate the last of the strawberry, noticing the little droplets of juice still on her fingers.  
  
"Please, make yourself at home," Mary said. "Let me put the strawberries away."  
  
She hobbled over to the kitchen and did just that, rinsing her hands before heading back to the living room. Hatori had taken a seat on the couch and Mary joined him. He tried not to pay too much attention to the way the hem of her nightshirt rode up her legs when she sat.  
  
"Is your ankle still sore or is it something else?" Hatori asked.  
  
"Still sore," she acknowledged. "I've had this happen before, but it's usually ok after a day or so. Maybe I'm just overtired."  
  
Hatori nodded. "Possible. Fatigue can make minor injuries take longer to heal. Let me see your arm."  
  
Mary complied, scooting closer to Hatori. He held her arm gently and ran his thumb across the skin next to the scrape near her elbow. Mary watched, mesmerized.  
  
"Hmm," Hatori mused. "There are still a few spots that may open up again." He reached down into his bag and produced antiseptic, cotton swabs, and bandages. "One more treatment should be enough."  
  
Hatori set to work and again Mary found herself staring at his face. The atmosphere was different this time, though, heavier, more full of tension. Electric. He looked up at her and they stared at each other. Hatori's hands stopped working, his fingers absently caressed her arm. Mary wondered why he kept his left eye covered with his hair but didn't dare ask.  
  
"What do you do for your job?"   
  
The question came out of nowhere and Hatori immediately kicked himself for asking it and breaking the moment. Mary's head whipped to the side and her cheeks burned. She bit her lip, keeping back a frustrated growl. Hatori bowed his head further, quickly finished bandaging her arm, and moved to the floor where he could clean her knee.  
  
Except now, if he tilted his head just so, he could see...  
  
"Don't think about it," Hatori chastised his mind.  
  
"Um, I work for a company as a software engineer that makes drawing applications," Mary managed. "We have a Japanese branch that is beginning a large project so some of us were transferred here until more help could be found."  
  
"It sounds interesting," Hatori replied, keeping his eyes on her knee.  
  
"It is," Mary replied, happy to have something she could think about other than Hatori. That line of thought only lead to more frustration and embarrassment, anyway. "With all the manga artists and animators in this country, it was nice to be closer to them since they are our primary market. To see what they do and hear what they want in applications is fun. Plus, it's made me interested in drawing, too."  
  
"You sound like you really enjoy your job," Hatori said, glancing up at her. She smiled at him.  
  
"I do. It's not often you find people who really enjoy their jobs, but I love mine. It's not all good, of course, but the good, more often than not, outweighs the bad," Mary replied. "What about you? Do you enjoy your job?"  
  
Hatori finished applying the bandage to Mary's knee and cocked his head to the side in thought. Did he like his job? Did he enjoy being at Akito's beck and call and tending to the needs of the entire Souma family.  
  
"Sometimes," he answered truthfully. "I enjoy the fact that I get to help people. It is...gratifying, especially since my patients are my family members."  
  
"But?" Mary prompted.  
  
"At the same time, because I only treat the Souma it feels...restricting. Taking care of Akito, especially when his health is on the decline, is a full time job."  
  
"If you could have your own practice, outside of the Souma family, would you do it? Or would you do something else?" Mary asked, curious.  
  
"I think I would take it," Hatori answered. "Being a doctor, like I said, is very gratifying. But I feel like I'm cheating others by limiting my patient base to my family."  
  
"Why can't you expand?"   
  
"Akito...disapproves," Hatori simply said. "I would need to move my office away from the Souma house, which would mean I would not be as accessible to Akito or the other Juunishi. In a way, it is fortunate that I am a doctor, being a Juunishi myself."  
  
"The secret wouldn't be in danger," Mary mused.  
  
"Ah," Hatori nodded. "Unfortunately, none of the other Juunishi, or those who know of the Juunishi, are in the field of medicine. So there would be no one to act as backup if I wanted to have my own practice."  
  
"I can see how that would be restrictive," Mary said quietly.  
  
Hatori found himself staring at Mary again, oddly heartened by the warmth and understanding in her voice and the gentle look of sympathy she gave him. Time stretched and they continued to stare at each other, neither caring that no words were spoken and no movements made. Mary finally moved, smiling at him. Hatori gave her a small smile in return and inclined his head in thanks. It was refreshing to be able to talk about his ambitions to someone with a different perspective.  
  
"I'm going to wrap your ankle to try and immobilize it, all right?" Hatori asked.  
  
Mary nodded and scooted forward, perching on the edge of the couch and bracing herself with her hands. Hatori moved back a little and cradled her foot in his lap. Carefully, he wrapped a bandage around her ankle.  
  
"Too tight?" he asked.  
  
"Mm mmm," Mary replied in the negative.  
  
Hatori finished wrapping Mary's ankle, secured it, and gave it a friendly pat.  
  
"Try that," he said.   
  
Mary leaned forward, moved her foot to the floor, and applied a little pressure to it. The bandage prevented her ankle from moving too much, yet still giving her enough range of motion to walk almost normally.  
  
"I think it's fine," Mary said. "Thank you, again." She leaned forward a little more, wanting to try and stand...and promptly lost her balance.  
  
Mary cried out as she toppled forward. Hatori moved backward quickly and ended up propped up on his elbow, his right hand flat against Mary's shoulder in an attempt to stop her fall. She was practically on top of him, her arms on either side of his body with her palms flat on the ground. She'd ended up on her knees, her legs on either side of one of his. He could feel her thigh against his knee.  
  
"Are you all right?" Hatori asked.  
  
Mary was utterly and completely embarrassed. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm so sorry."  
  
Her face was inches away from his.   
  
"It's all right," Hatori whispered.   
  
She looked as if she were about to cry. Mary's brow furrowed in worry and embarrassment. Hatori found he wanted to smooth those lines in her face. She was much prettier without them. Without thinking of what he was doing, Hatori lightly brushed his fingers down the side of her face. Mary's eyes widened in surprise and he was about to apologize when she smiled that brilliant smile at him.  
  
Again, Hatori drew his fingers down the side of Mary's face, her skin silky smooth beneath the sensitive pads of his fingers. Her eyes closed and she sighed in contentment, her lips parting slightly.  
  
"It would be so easy," Hatori thought to himself, "so easy, to just lean in and kiss her."  
  
*snick*  
  
The sound of the front door unlocking seemed unusually loud in the small apartment. With amazing speed, Mary found herself back on the couch. Hatori had turned around and was in the midst of replacing his supplies when Sue walked in.  
  
"I'm-" Sue stopped in mid-greeting. She looked between Mary, sitting entirely too innocently on the couch, and Hatori on the floor. She could have sworn his cheeks were slightly pink.  
  
"-back," Sue finished.  
  
"Welcome home," Mary said, brightly.  
  
-   
  
End Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter 7

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: PG-13 (for now)  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Er...sorry for the lack of updates. Had a business trip. Then I was really tired. Then I had stupid house crap to take care of...and work keeps rearing its ugly head. And I just didn't write for a couple weeks. Anyway, here's the next part. It's becoming clear that I'm going to have edit/censor some of the later stuff pretty soon as it's getting to the point where it will have "mature content." Hey, what Mary Sue story doesn't have the Mary Sue marrying a main character and having like, a billion children? And, you know, children don't grow out of trees. *eg* Thanks much for all the reviews, I'm thrilled that people enjoy the story and realize that it's intentionally cliche and what not. ;)  
  
-  
  
Chapter 7 of ?  
  
-  
  
It took Sue just under an hour to get Mary to spill the story. Mary regretted it the second she finished talking.  
  
"That's it?" Sue asked, incredulous. "You were leaning over him, practically on top of him, and you didn't kiss?"  
  
"You came home," Mary pointed out.  
  
"And? You could have ignored me," Sue retorted. "I would have turned right around and left again."  
  
Mary raised a skeptical eyebrow.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing," Mary said and flopped back on the couch.  
  
"You guys are so frustrating," Sue huffed. "I'm disappointed I didn't come home to find you having hot sex on the floor."  
  
"Sue!" Mary yelled in utterly embarrassed surprise. "Geez, I've only known him, what, a day?"  
  
"And this matters how?" Sue shot back.  
  
"You know, I really don't know," Mary replied, rolling to her side to face Sue. "Must be that American sense of sexual taboo or whatever."  
  
"You need to lose some of your inhibitions," Sue suggested. "So does he. And his pants."  
  
Mary couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"I'm beginning to think you want to get him out of his pants more than I do," Mary said.  
  
"See? That's the attitude you have to take. Be bold!"  
  
"Give me some time," Mary said. She'd flopped on her back again and threw her arms over her eyes.  
  
Sue was uncharacteristically quiet. Mary waited.  
  
"So, when you guys finally have sex, can I watch?"  
  
Mary snickered.  
  
"Although, I mean, by the time you get there, I'll probably be dead of old age."  
  
Mary snickered more.  
  
"Actually, you're older, so you'd both be dead before you get that far. That's so wrong!"  
  
Mary laughed out loud. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"  
  
"Not a chance in Hell, Nee-chan."  
  
Mary sighed and pushed herself up off the couch. "Oy. We need to find you a nice boy to sink your teeth into."  
  
"Promise?" The look of pure hope on Sue's face made Mary burst into a fit of giggles. Sue soon followed.  
  
+  
  
The rest of the week passed achingly slow. Mary no longer had an excuse to stay away from work and every excuse to go back. She reluctantly left every morning at the crack of dawn to commute into Tokyo. At work, she was utterly and completely distracted, useless beyond compare. It was amazing she got any work done at all. Luckily, it was a slow time and no one really noticed. Which, of course, made her wonder why she was there in the first place.  
  
Oh. Right. That money thing.  
  
Mary returned home early on Friday to a Sue bouncing in the doorway. She eyed the younger woman suspiciously.  
  
"Sue-chan, what are you doing?" she asked as she took off her shoes.  
  
"Waiting for you," Sue replied with a huge grin.  
  
"Why?" Mary was extremely wary, now.  
  
"Because we're going to go for a walk!"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Uh huh." Sue was practically leaping. "It's such a beautiful day and you're home early and your ankle is pretty much healed..."  
  
"And, let me guess," Mary put her hand to her chin in a mock-thinking gesture. "We're going to end up in the Souma neighborhood?"  
  
Sue grinned. "I knew you'd see it my way!" She grabbed Mary's hand and they practically flew down the stairs.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoaaaaaaa, Sue," Mary shouted, trying to get the girl's attention.   
  
Sue came up short. "What?"  
  
"You said walk," Mary pointed out. "So, let's walk."  
  
"Oh, right," Sue pouted. She immediately brightened. "That'll give you a chance to figure out how to jump Hatori when you see him."  
  
"Suuuue."  
  
+  
  
They were in the neighborhood again. They were next to The Wall where it all happened. Mary noticed the offending bucket was nowhere to be seen. And then...  
  
"Yay! I hoped I'd see you two today!"  
  
The voice.  
  
Sue and Mary melted immediately, having been deprived of Momiji's ultimate cuteness for the better part of a week.  
  
"Momiji-chan!" Sue practically screamed, reaching for the boy who'd perched himself atop the Souma property wall again.  
  
Momiji hopped down and embraced Sue with all his might. Mary spontaneously joined the pair, hugging them both.  
  
"I'm happy to see you, Momiji-kun," Mary said, smiling broadly.  
  
Momiji smiled a big, toothy grin at the women. "What are you guys doing around here?"  
  
"We were out for a walk," Mary explained.  
  
"But we were hoping we might get to see you, too," Sue winked.  
  
"Well, you did!" Momiji said, hopping out of Sue's arms and doing a little dance around the women.  
  
"Would you like to come inside?" Momiji asked, hopeful. "Shi-chan is visiting, you can meet him!"  
  
"Ok!" Sue and Mary both exclaimed.  
  
Into the Souma family estate they went again, weaving through houses as Momiji pointed out where everyone in the family lived. Mary and Sue doubted they'd remember everything, but they were having fun nonetheless. Finally, they reached the house that Mary recognized as belonging to Hatori but instead of going inside, Momiji circled around to the back.  
  
"Ha'ri-san! Shi-chan! Look who I found!" Momiji exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Mary's stomach flip-flopped as Hatori came into view. He stood under a cherry blossom tree near the little pond with another gentleman.   
  
Sue, on the other hand, tried not to gape at the other gentleman. He was about Hatori's height and had the same color hair, but his demeanor was much different. He seemed much more relaxed and at ease. In other words, he looked tasty.   
  
Mary was not so oblivious to miss the little sound of approval Sue made when she spotted the other man. She smirked. Payback. Except, it would be harder since Sue didn't have as many inhibitions as Mary did. She would have to scheme.  
  
Hatori was staring at her and Mary blushed as she smiled back. Sue noticed the other man's eyebrows raise in interest at the look Hatori gave Mary.  
  
"Um, hi," Mary said as they reached the two men. "I hope we're not intruding..."  
  
"Not at all, not at all," the other man replied, waving his hands. Sue immediately liked the mystery man. Not only was he nice to look at but he had quite a lovely voice, too.  
  
"Ah," Hatori finally said. "We were just catching up. This is Shigure, another Juunishi."   
  
"Nice to meet you!" Shigure greeted, giving a little head bow.  
  
Mary and Sue grinned. Shigure was definitely different from Hatori.  
  
"This is Smith-san and Jones-san," Hatori continued with the introductions.   
  
"Mmm," Shigure said, putting a finger to his chin in thought. "The secret Juunishi members, hmm? Your story is starting to spread."  
  
"Oh, I hope it's not causing any problems," Mary replied with concern.  
  
"No, no, not at all. More like curiosity," Shigure assured. "Your story is very interesting. It would make a good book."  
  
Hatori gave Shigure a sidelong glance.   
  
"Are you a writer, Shigure-san?" Sue asked.  
  
"Yes! In fact, I'm a novelist," he replied.  
  
"No way!" Sue exclaimed.   
  
"It's true," Shigure said, grinning. He liked this girl's enthusiasm. And she was cute, too. "In fact, I have a draft of a new story I'm working on. Would you like to see it? I'd love to get some feedback."  
  
"Absolutely!" Sue clapped her hands together in delight.  
  
"Me, too! Me, too!" Momiji cried.  
  
Together, Shigure, Momiji, and Sue walked back to Hatori's office, talking animatedly about various things having completely forgotten about Hatori and Mary. Mary watched them go, her smirk changing into a full-out grin.  
  
"That was weird," she said under her breath.  
  
"Indeed," Hatori concurred.  
  
Mary turned back to Hatori, smiling brightly again as she was very happy to see him. It seemed like more than just a few days had passed since she'd seen him and heard his voice.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"Hi," Hatori replied. He found himself smiling back at her and his day felt much brighter.  
  
Mary stepped around him and faced the pond, peering in it. "Ahh," she breathed. "I was wondering if it had koi."  
  
She squatted down near the pond's edge and watched the fish.  
  
"Fish are so soothing," she said randomly.  
  
"Mmm," Hatori murmured, watching her.  
  
"Are you having a good day, Hatori-san?" Mary asked. She stood and stepped back, leaning against the cheery blossom tree they stood under. A cool breeze came through the garden and caused a few blossom petals to float from above.  
  
"Mmm," Hatori nodded. He stepped forward and reached up to remove a petal from Mary's hair. "And you?" he asked softly.  
  
Mary looked up at Hatori. He was standing so close to her she could feel the heat emanating from his body. "Yes," she whispered. She took a chance. "Much better now that I'm here with you."  
  
Hatori froze. He was caught in Mary's eyes and time seemed to stretch to an impossibly slow rate around them. Tentatively, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. Mary smiled at him again and leaned into his touch. The air turned electric between them and Mary felt like she would explode if something didn't happen soon.  
  
"Ahh, screw it," she thought to herself.  
  
Standing up on her tiptoes, Mary closed the distance between herself and Hatori, touching her lips to his in a chaste kiss. That was all the encouragement Hatori needed and he stepped forward, holding Mary close, and the couple lost themselves in a world of slow, sweet kisses.  
  
+  
  
"That was a really good story," Sue remarked as she and Shigure headed back to the garden.  
  
"Do you really think that?" Shigure asked, feigning embarrassment. He was actually quite tickled at Sue's personality.  
  
"Uhn!" she replied. "It's too bad Momiji-chan didn't get a chance to read it." The boy's guardians had called for him not long after they'd started reading.  
  
"Hmm, I don't think Momichi would have appreciated some of it," Shigure said with a sly smile.  
  
"True. You did have quite a bit of subtext in it," Sue grinned, waggling her eyebrows at Shigure suggestively.  
  
Suddenly, Sue tackled Shigure and brought him to the ground just before they reached the outside doors of Hatori's office.  
  
"Why, Sue-san!" Shigure melodramatically said.   
  
But she wasn't looking at him. Shigure followed her gaze and his eyebrows retreated into a region somewhere near his hairline. There, in the garden they'd left not too long ago, was Mary pressed up against a cherry blossom tree being very thoroughly kissed by Hatori.  
  
"It's about damn time," Sue muttered. Her mind was conjuring up happy dances as she watched.  
  
"Hmm," Shigure murmured. He propped up his chin with a hand and gazed at the kissing couple. "So, Ha-san finally found someone he could be close to and be happy around again."  
  
"Again?" Sue asked.  
  
Shigure nodded toward the photograph on Hatori's bookshelf. "Souma Kana," he said. "Actually, she got married, so she's no longer a Souma." He tried not to think about how close Sue was to him or the weight of her body on his.  
  
"She and Hatori used to be together?"  
  
"Uhn," Shigure said, his voice a little sad. He wished Sue would stop moving. "But only for a short while. She was someone special to him, and then she was taken away from him."  
  
"Taken away?" Sue was really curious now.  
  
"It's a long story," Shigure said. He didn't want to get into it at the moment. "I'll tell you about it...but could you get your elbow out of my ribs, please?"  
  
-   
  
End Chapter 7 


	8. Chapter 8

The Secret Juunishi 

Or

How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket

by secretjuunishi

-

Fandom: Fruits Basket

Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga Rating: R (just in case)

Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki. 

Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have secrets. spooky music Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.

Author's Note: So...I...kind of forgot about this story. For, like, months. But now I will update. Hooray. Also, upped the overall rating to R. ;)

-

Chapter 8 of ?

Sue walked quietly out into Hatori's garden. She came upon the pair, now lounging in the grass. They were asleep, Mary tucked close to Hatori's side. Sue smiled wryly...but she felt sad.

Sue squatted down beside the napping couple and watched them for a few moments.

"How long are you going to just stare?" Mary murmured without opening her eyes.

"Are you both awake?" Sue asked, eying Hatori suspiciously.

"I doubt it," Mary replied.

Sue stayed silent.

"Go ahead and say it," Mary muttered.

"About damn time," Sue responded, grinning.

Mary just smiled back at the other girl. "Mmmm, yeah," she finally said.

Silence stretched between the cousins as they stared at each other.

"Shigure told me his story," Sue finally spoke.

"About Kana-san?"

Sue nodded.

"He told me, too," Mary whispered, glancing up at Hatori's sleeping face.

"How does that make you feel?"

Mary thought a moment, brow furrowed. "Sad."

Sue nodded. "But...Shigure says he's never tried to find anyone new."

"Until me."

"Uhn," Sue replied. "I mean, I can see why, but still...it sounds so...so..."

"Lonely?" Mary provided. "We haven't been much different."

"Yeah, but it seems different."

"I think I know what you mean," Mary said. "You think...that he felt love before, so strongly...and then had it taken away from him. You think...to have just a taste would make him search for it again forever."

Sue nodded. "But, instead..."

"He locked it all away," Mary finished.

They fell silent again.

"But," Sue continued. "At least he didn't shut out his capacity to love."

Mary smiled.

"I'm going to go back in and talk to Shigure," Sue announced.

"Oh, really," Mary drawled.

"He's a fascinating person," Sue said, slightly defensive.

"I'm sure he is," Mary winked. "Go. Have fun."

Sue began to leave.

"Will you at least warn him before you jump him?" Mary called after the girl.

Sue tripped slightly but kept walking.

Mary settled back against Hatori and marveled at the situation. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her ear. She could hear his breath as he breathed. Mary was close to Hatori. And it felt really, really good. Mary closed her eyes and moved closer to him. In sleep, Hatori pulled his arms tighter around her and Mary smiled before dropping off into a light doze again.

"How long do you think they'll be out there?" Sue wondered aloud, leaning against the doorway.

"Ahh, with Ha-san, you never know," Shigure answered. "We've known each other all our lives, but with this, especially after Kana-kun, even I don't know."

"What are you working on?" Sue asked. Shigure had been sketching and writing for several minutes.

"Oh, this?" Shigure grinned at Sue. "Just a little something I've been dabbling on."

"Tori-san, I'm here!" a voice suddenly rang out before Hatori's door slammed open.

"Aya!" Shigure exclaimed as the other person came into view.

He was, by far, the most sparkly man Sue had ever seen. She wondered if he had glitter embedded in his person.

"Gure-san!" the man gasped. "Now this is a pleasant surprise. But...who's this?" His gaze turned on Sue.

"This," Shigure said, sidling closer to Sue and draping an arm over her shoulders, "is our new friend, Sue. Sue-kun, this is Souma Ayame."

Ayame's eyes had widened when Shigure put his arm around the girl...and nothing happened.

"I see you've realized we can embrace and nothing happens," Shigure said with a broad smile. "It's a bit of a story, I'll tell you later."

Ayame looked between Shigure and Sue.

"Oh, Gure-san!" Ayame cried before whirling around. "You have been cheating on me! I knew it was only a matter of time, but...too soon!"

"Aya!" Shigure exclaimed, moving to comfort the other man. "You know I would never betray you!"

Sue immediately picked up on the half-serious, half-joking nature of their banter and grinned.

"Do you really mean it?" Aya asked with wide eyes. He'd taken one of Shigure's hands in both of his and was staring up at the other man endearingly.

And then suddenly, Ayame was on the floor. With a Sue firmly glomped on him.

"Aya, I think you've made an impression on our new friend," Shigure deadpanned.

Sue looked up at Shigure and gave him a wink. Which caused him to completely forget what he was going to say.

"Oho!" Ayame exclaimed. He struggled to stand, a task made much more difficult as Sue was still attached to his back. "I like this one. Can we keep her"  
Shigure snickered. Sue giggled.

"What are you doing here anyway, Aya?" Shigure asked.

"Oh! I was just stopping by to see Tori-san," Ayame replied, straightening his clothes when Sue finally removed herself. "But, now that you're here I can go ahead and give you the thing you requested."

From out of nowhere, Ayame produced an extremely cute, light blue, and very revealing maid's dress. Shigure hung it up by the door and examined it from various angles.

"Good!" he finally said. "Great work, Aya. Exactly what I was looking for."

Sue eyed the dress. Sue eyed Shigure. Sue eyed the dress some more. Sue plotted mischief.

"Where is Tori-san?" Ayame asked, glancing around.

"He's outside with Mary-san," Shigure said. "She's a friend of Sue...and also like Sue."

"They're sleeping together," Sue said before bursting out into giggles.

"In public?!" Ayame exclaimed. "I never knew Tori-san had it in him. This, I must see." And with a toss of his hair, Ayame was gone, bouncing out of the room and stealthily making his way through the garden to the sleeping pair.

"He...bounces," Sue breathed.

"That's Aya," Shigure said, smiling.

Sue grinned and turned to look at the dress again. "So, is this what you were working on?"

"Ah," Shigure admitted. "I use it for inspiration. Aya is a bit of a dressmaker and he indulges my requests."

"It's really cute," Sue remarked, finger to her lips.

"Uhn," Shigure replied. "Aya really did a fine job."

"Can I try it on?"

"Er..."

But Sue was already heading toward the changing screen, dress slung over her shoulder. Before Shigure could say anything more, clothes were appearing over the edge of the screen as she undressed.

"Oh, my," Shigure thought. He was completely enthralled and his imagination was running wild. "High school girls, high school girls, high school girls," his little tune rang through his head.

Sue squirmed until the dress fell into the right places. In addition to being very cute, it was also very small.

"May as well flaunt what I've got," she thought to herself as she employed a trick of contortionism to zip up the back of the dress.

Sue inspected herself in the little mirror behind the screen, posing this way and that. It was extremely low cut and had a built-in push-up bra feature. Very push-up. The hem of the dress was just barely long enough to cover the important bits.

And then Sue got a very naughty thought. Quickly, she stripped off her panties and, instead of hanging it over the screen's edge, treated it like a rubber band and let it fly. She heard Shigure squeak and she knew her aim had been true. Sue took one last look in the mirror before stepping out from behind the screen.

Shigure sat at the table in the middle of Hatori's room, most of his body hidden by the table. Thankfully. Especially after those panties came flying right at him. And most especially after Sue sauntered out from behind the screen.

"How do I look?" Sue asked, posing.

"Er...very cute," Shigure managed in a strangled voice.

"Are you ok, Shigure-san?" Sue asked in her most innocent voice. "You sound like you're in pain." She approached him and sank to her knees so she could be on eye level with him. And, of course, to flaunt her cleavage, but that wasn't her fault.

"Oh, just fine!" Shigure said, trying to sound natural and failing miserably.

"Oh! That dress looks quite good on you, Sue-kun!" Ayame's voice rang out.

Shigure and Sue's heads both snapped to the exterior doorway where, much to Shigure's dismay, stood Ayame, Hatori, and Mary.

Sue winked at her cousin before standing. Mary approached her and circled her with a critical eye.

"You're looking quite the nymphet, aren't you?" she whispered in Sue's ear. Sue giggled.

"Nice dress, you are very skilled, Ayame-san," Mary said in a louder voice.

"Maybe you could ask him to make your wedding gown," Sue murmured. Mary smacked Sue's ass.

"What happened to your underwear?" Mary muttered.

"I think Shigure stole them," Sue muttered back.

Mary was on the verge of exploding from keeping her laughter in check.

"Ayame-san has graciously invited us all out for dinner," Mary announced to Sue and Shigure. "Shall we?"

"I'll change," Sue replied before whirling around and heading back to the changing screen. A few moments later she was back, having done the quickest costume change in history. Mary eyed her suspiciously. "What? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Mary said.

"Are we ready to go?" Ayame asked, looking around expectantly.

"Um, I'll catch up with you," Shigure said. He was still sitting at the table. "I just thought of a great idea and want to write it down before it disappears."

"Ok, Gure-san, but don't make us wait too long," Ayame pouted.

Hatori picked up his car keys and lead the way out of his office area. Sue turned at the doorway and looked back at Shigure. Mary's eyes widened at the look on Sue's face.

"We'll be waiting for you to come!" Sue exclaimed before Mary rudely shoved her out into the hallway.

Both women practically ran out of the house and into the courtyard before bursting into giggles.

"I can't believe you just said that," Mary said. Sue merely grinned at her.

"Is everything all right?" Hatori asked as he and Ayame caught up with them.

"Just fine," Mary said, smiling at Hatori. He graced her with a smile before holding his hand out to her. Mary took it and together they made their way down the street, walking close and talking softly.

"Shall we?" Ayame asked, proffering his arm to Sue.

"Sure!" Sue replied before linking her arm with Ayame's.

Several minutes later, Shigure stumbled out of the front gates to the main house looking a little weary. He couldn't get the image of Sue in that dress out of his head. Or her words. She had to have known the effect she had on him. Shigure shook his head in an attempt to clear it and headed for the restaurant where everyone was waiting, unconsciously fingering a pair of panties that had somehow made its way into his pocket.

-

End Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: I'm attempting to catch up in the sense that I actually have quite a bit written just not posted. I know, I know, I'm bad.  
  
Things start heating up between our heroines and certain Soumas. If you don't like that, here's your warning to flee! Flee! Flee!  
  
-  
  
Chapter 9 of ?  
  
-  
  
Mary and Sue fell into a busy routine over the next several days. Everything seemed to move in fast-forward. Mary was surprisingly productive at work, determined to get all her tasks done so she could thoroughly enjoy the evening and weekends. Sue's Japanese improved at a record pace now that she had several people to whom she could talk and ask grammar questions.  
  
And, of course, they met more Souma Juunishi.  
  
At the main house, they met Hiro and Kisa. Sue immediately fell in love with Kisa, as did Mary. Hiro was distant, however, and made a poor impression on the women. If anything, Sue and Mary felt sorry for the boy. But Kisa liked him enough to be around him, so the women figured the boy just wasn't good around strangers.  
  
"He's a bit of a prick, isn't he?" Sue murmured one night on their way back to Mary's apartment.  
  
"I hate to say it, especially for someone so young," Mary mused, "but, yeah, he is. Kisa likes him, though, so..."  
  
"Kisa's so cute," Sue grinned. "Between her and Momiji I might die of cuteness."  
  
Mary giggled. "I know what you mean. This family is so diverse...I can't wait to meet more of them."  
  
Kagura was a trip. She was about Sue's age and the two girls hit it off, talking animatedly about everything and nothing. Mary stood back and smiled, letting Sue have some time with a peer. She knew Sue didn't have many friends her own age, even at school. Mary believed that would change once the regular school session started, though. No one could resist Sue.  
  
"You should go to Shigure-san's place and meet Yuki-kun, Touru-san, and my Kyo-kun," Kagura mentioned.  
  
Mary noted the broad smile that appeared on Sue's face when Shigure's name was mentioned. That particular Souma hadn't been seen in the few days since the incident with the underwear.  
  
"Ah, you should," a voice said behind the group of girls.  
  
"Hatori," Mary said, smiling at the doctor. He nodded at her with a small smile.  
  
"We'll go over tomorrow," he offered. "Is that ok?"  
  
"Sure!" Sue exclaimed.  
  
"I wish I could come with you," Kagura pouted. "But I have a million things to do. Be sure to give all my love to Kyo-kun!" With a final wave, Kagura left the group.  
  
"Speaking of errands, I need to run some today if we're going to go to Shigure-san's place tomorrow," Sue said, thoughtfully. "I'll be back before dark, ok, Nee-chan?"  
  
"Uhn," Mary replied. "Call me if you need anything."  
  
"I will!" Sue said as she made her way out of the Souma establishment. "See you later, Hatori-san!"  
  
Hatori watched the girl go. "Why does it always feel like she's setting us up?"  
  
"Because she is," Mary remarked, hugging Hatori close.  
  
"Ah," he replied. "Good."  
  
Mary giggled and Hatori wrapped his arms around her. "Let's go sit down," he suggested.  
  
Mary nodded and the pair walked toward the little landing just outside Hatori's office.  
  
"I think I'll always have good memories of this spot," Mary murmured, remembering their first meeting and the infamous foot massage.  
  
"Me, too," Hatori agreed. He sat on the edge of the landing, but Mary remained standing. She twirled around a few times in the grass before Hatori reached out and pulled her closer.  
  
"It all seems so unreal," Mary whispered, leaning forward onto Hatori's chest. "Who knew our lives would change so much after one moment?"  
  
Hatori said nothing, preferring to run his fingers through Mary's long, silky black hair. She looked up at him and he cupped her cheek. Smiling, Mary stood on tiptoe and closed the distance between them.  
  
Their kisses had always been long and sweet, each savoring the sensation of being close to each other. But this time there was something different, something a little more urgent. Mary found herself wrapping her arms tighter around Hatori's neck, wanting to be closer to him. Hatori leaned back, lifting Mary off the ground. When he fell onto the landing, she went with him and ended up straddling him, her hands pressed against his chest.  
  
Mary smiled down at Hatori, a little surprised but ultimately pleased at their new position. Slowly, she leaned forward, smoothing her hands over Hatori's chest, and resumed kissing him. Hatori groaned softly and ran his hands up Mary's arms before pulling her closer. He shifted sideways slightly and moved his hand down her back, over her rear, and across her thigh, hooking behind her knee and tugging it over his hip. Mary mewled at the feel of Hatori pressing into her and she squirmed.  
  
With a burst of movement, Hatori growled and flipped them over. The breath whooshed out of Mary's lungs as she suddenly found herself flat on her back staring up at Hatori who was propped up over her with his hands flat on the flooring by her head.  
  
"This," Hatori said, voice tense, "is very dangerous."  
  
"Oh?" Mary teased. She pushed up against him, grinning at the pained expression on his face. She could feel Hatori's reaction to her acutely and it sent flutters through her stomach.  
  
"Stop," he gasped. But he was unwilling to move off of her. "I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?" Mary asked softly. "For this?" She moved against him again and he barely suppressed a groan.  
  
"Hatori."  
  
Hatori had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself.  
  
"Hatori, please look at me," Mary pleaded.  
  
Reluctantly, Hatori opened his eyes and stared down at the woman who was slowly but surely driving him crazy.  
  
"Don't feel sorry," Mary said. She tried to keep her expression neutral. "It's only natural."  
  
After what seemed an eternity, Hatori nodded.  
  
"And please," she continued, raising a hand to stroke his cheek. "Please don't feel sorry for the way you feel about me."  
  
Hatori grimaced. "I don't," he said. "I am sorry if I made you feel that way."  
  
Mary nodded.  
  
"Ha'ri-san!" Momiji's voice floated from the courtyard. "Are you home?!"  
  
Hatori hung his head and sighed.   
  
"Now, that's a mood killer," Mary murmured.  
  
"Uhn," Hatori agreed before pulling himself to his feet. He offered his hand to Mary and pulled her up, too.  
  
Mary and Hatori made their way around the building to meet Momiji. Neither of them noticed the shadow of a person that had watched them nor the person's form as they left, kimono dragging slowly across the floor.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 9 


	10. Chapter 10

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: More sexiness! Yay!   
  
-  
  
Chapter 10 of ?  
  
-  
  
"This is a cute place," Sue said as they exited Hatori's car. They arrived at Shigure's home late Saturday morning and she was eager to meet the often talked about Yuki, Kyo, and Touru. Of course, she wanted to see Shigure again, too.  
  
"Sue," Mary said coming up beside the other girl. "I don't think your skirt is short enough."  
  
"Ah," Hatori added. "He might not think you're serious wearing that."  
  
Both women stared at Hatori's back as he made his way to Shigure's front door.  
  
"Did he just..."  
  
Mary nodded. "I think so."  
  
Sue gave Mary an appreciative look. "Damn, woman, what have you been doing to him?"  
  
"What?" Mary said with mock shock. "You mean I didn't tell you about the almost hot sex on the ledge outside Hatori's office yesterday? Must've slipped my mind."  
  
Surprised silence followed Mary's statement and she took the opportunity to walk, quickly, to Hatori by the door.  
  
"Oooh, no," Sue said, stalking forward. "You don't get off that easy."  
  
Hatori and Mary shared a glance.  
  
"Perhaps," Mary mused. "Maybe you can work on getting Shigure to."  
  
Before Sue could reply, the front door opened. The first thought in Sue's mind: "Shigure has this pretty young thing living in his house?"  
  
"Hatori-san!" the girl exclaimed. "This is a surprise!"  
  
Mary and Sue exchanged "He didn't tell them?" looks.  
  
"We decided to stop by, Touru-san," Hatori said.  
  
A confused look appeared on Touru's face before she peered around Hatori's shoulder and spotted Mary and Sue.  
  
"Ah! Guests!" A slightly panicked look appeared on Touru's face.  
  
"Touru-kun, who is-?" Shigure appeared at the doorway.  
  
"Ha-san," he said, confused. Then he spotted Mary and Sue. "Er..." A slightly panicked look appeared on Shigure's face.  
  
"They wanted to meet you all," Hatori said nonchalantly, indicating Mary and Sue with a nod of his head.  
  
"Mary-san, Sue-san, this is Honda Touru," Hatori finally introduced. "Touru-san, this is Smith Mary and Jones Sue."  
  
"It's very nice to meet you!" Touru exclaimed before bowing quickly.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too," Mary and Sue replied, bowing in kind.  
  
"Oh, come in, please!" Touru invited.  
  
The trio made their way inside. As they removed their shoes, Shigure made his exit. Sue made a mental note to find him later.  
  
Touru showed them into the living room where two boys were sitting at a low table, watching TV.  
  
"Souma-kun, Kyo-kun, we have guests!" Touru announced happily.  
  
"Hatori," the dark haired one said in surprise.  
  
"What the Hell are you doing here?" the orange haired one asked.  
  
"These are Souma Yuki and Souma Kyo," Hatori explained ignoring Kyo's question. "Meet Smith Mary and Jones Sue."  
  
Yuki's eyes widened slightly. "Ah, it's nice to meet you. We've heard about you."  
  
"Hrmph," Kyo muttered.  
  
"Are you always this pissed off?" Sue blurted out.   
  
Kyo, realizing she was talking to him, snapped his head around and glared. "I'm not pissed off!"  
  
Sue merely stared back at him.  
  
"Stupid cat..." Yuki muttered.  
  
"Shut up, you damn mouse," Kyo griped.   
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Mary noticed Hatori slip out of the room. "I wonder where he's going..." she thought.  
  
"Oh, by the way," Sue said. "Kagura-san told us to give you all her love, Kyo-san."  
  
Kyo immediately jumped to his feet. "Is...is...is she here?" He looked absolutely petrified.  
  
Sue, having just been about to reply in the negative, smiled mischievously. "Mayyyybe..."  
  
"I'm going out!" Kyo announced before bolting from the room.  
  
Touru returned at that moment with a tray laden with tea and snacks. "Ah! Kyo-kun!" Touru called, but Kyo was already gone.  
  
"Yuki." Hatori had re-entered the room and was now wearing his doctor's coat. "You failed to return to the main house for your monthly exam."  
  
Yuki didn't bother making up an excuse. "I'm fine," he said instead, voice emotionless.  
  
"Nevertheless, school starts again soon and it would be wise to at least checkup on you," Hatori said, equally emotionless.   
  
Yuki sat passively while Hatori checked various vitals and logged them in a notebook. Mary observed the two men and wondered at the history between them. She wondered if they realized they acted exactly the same.  
  
"Would you like some tea?" Touru asked, eyes wide.  
  
"Yes, please," Mary replied. "Thank you."   
  
Touru turned to Sue. "And you?"  
  
"Er, I don't really drink tea..."  
  
"Oh." The crestfallen look on Touru's face nearly made Sue retract her words and drink the tea despite her distaste.  
  
"I know! What do you like? I'll make it...or I'll go and buy it!" Touru exclaimed, coming up toward Sue and kneeling right in front of her.  
  
Mary and Sue exchanged a wide eyed look. This girl was so eager to please...and there was absolutely nothing else to it. She just...wanted to make other people happy, despite her own happiness. In fact, it made her happy to cater to others.  
  
"Um, it's ok, really," Sue tried, desperately trying to get out of the situation.  
  
"There must be something!" Touru persisted. Her need to be a good hostess was nearly blinding.  
  
"Uh...heh...um, water will be fine," Sue finally managed. She was beginning to get frightened.  
  
"Ok!" Touru exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and ran for the kitchen.   
  
"Good," Hatori's voice floated to the girls. "You appear to be growing out of your asthma, Yuki."  
  
The boy merely nodded before grabbing a cup of tea.  
  
Touru returned a moment later with another tray that held a tall glass and a pitcher of ice water.  
  
"Here you go," Touru offered Sue. "I hope it's to your liking."  
  
Sue made a show of drinking some water and looking very satisfied. Something about Touru made her want to do just about anything to make sure she kept smiling. Sue supposed it was part of the girl's charm.  
  
"Oh!" Touru said, clapping her hands together. "It's almost lunch time, I need to make lunch for everyone. Will you be staying?"  
  
Mary looked to Hatori for help but he just sipped his tea. She was in a quandary, now. She didn't want to impose, but Mary felt Touru might be crushed if she said no.  
  
"We'd love to," Mary replied. Touru's face brightened. "But only if it's not any trouble."  
  
"Of course, not!"  
  
"Do you need any help?" Mary asked.  
  
"No, no, I couldn't ask that," Touru said, shaking her head vigorously. "If you'll excuse me, I need to run to the store and get some extra groceries."  
  
"I'll come with you, Honda-san," Yuki spoke.  
  
"Oh, Souma-kun, you don't have to..."  
  
"I need to pick up a few things, anyway. And I can help carry your bags," Yuki said, smiling at the girl.  
  
Touru nodded.  
  
"We'll be back soon, Hatori-san. Will you let Shigure-san know?"  
  
"Ah," Hatori replied, nodding at the two teenagers as they left.  
  
Mary and Sue continued to stare in the direction Touru and Yuki went, wide eyed.   
  
"She's...very cheerful," Mary said.  
  
"Mmm," Hatori agreed. "Touru-san is a unique individual. Needless to say, Shigure's household has not been the same since she arrived."  
  
Mary and Sue exchanged another look. They'd heard a little about Touru and gathered she was an extremely generous and nice person. But now, even knowing her for such a short while, they realized she was positively angelic. This girl could do no wrong.  
  
"No wonder Shigure's so frustrated," Sue thought to herself. "He may be a little on the perverse side, but no matter what he said or did, I doubt any of it would make it beyond Touru's view of the world. She's so pure...so innocent...it almost makes you feel bad for thinking any bad thoughts about her."  
  
"Where is Shigure-san, anyway?" Mary asked.  
  
"Probably hiding in his study," Hatori replied.  
  
"Does he do that often?" Mary wondered.  
  
"Usually, no," Hatori answered. "He has been acting strangely of late." Hatori sipped more tea.  
  
"His room is down the hallway on the right."  
  
"I'll go ask him if he'd like some tea!" Sue announced and bounded off.  
  
Mary looked at Hatori in wonder.  
  
"You surprise me almost every time we meet," she said. Hatori only nodded his head.  
  
"Shigure's behavior is most likely due to Sue-san's presence," he started to explain.  
  
Mary nodded and rose to her feet. She wanted to explore the room a little.  
  
"She is the type of person he likes: energetic, outgoing, doesn't take things too seriously...that type of person."  
  
"I suppose it doesn't hurt that she's a young and pretty high school girl, hmm?" Mary asked, smiling as she made her way to the exterior sliding paper doors.  
  
"No," Hatori said slowly. "It's definitely a plus."  
  
"Does everyone have a view this good from their living rooms?" Mary mused.   
  
Hatori came up behind Mary and wrapped his arms around her. "You like gardens and ponds, don't you?"  
  
"They're peaceful," Mary said. Hatori started nuzzling her behind her ear. "Mmm," Mary murmured happily. "Tell me more."  
  
"Hmm?" Hatori asked as he placed light kisses along Mary's neck.  
  
"I love hearing your voice," Mary said.  
  
"Hmm, all right," Hatori replied. "Would you like to sit by the pond?"  
  
"Uhn!" Mary answered.  
  
Hatori led Mary out toward the pond and they settled themselves by the large boulder in Shigure's backyard. As Mary sat, however, Hatori pulled her closer and sat her in his lap. She grinned at him and put her ear to his chest.  
  
"What do you want me to talk about?" Hatori asked.  
  
"Tell me about your relationship with Yuki-san," Mary said.  
  
"Yuki? Why?"  
  
"I watched you while you examined him. I could tell that there was some history between you," Mary explained. She idly drew patterns on Hatori's shirt with her finger. "And, I don't know if you realized it or not, but you two act very much the same."  
  
Hatori was silent for a moment. "No, I hadn't noticed. But I can see that, now. That's interesting because Yuki and I...we have a complex relationship."  
  
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Mary said. She felt sorry for asking such a personal question.  
  
"It's all right," Hatori responded, giving her a gentle smile. "I want to tell you. I want you to know everything."  
  
Mary smiled up at Hatori and wound her arms around his chest, pulling herself closer so she could feel and hear him speak.  
  
"For most of my life, I have had the ability to use hypnosis on people and erase their memories of certain events," Hatori began. "Akito has requested I use that skill, from time to time, to erase the memories of those outside the Souma family who have learned our secret."  
  
"When Yuki was a small boy, there was an incident. He was playing with his friends in the park and tripped, falling onto a girl. Everyone saw him change. And Akito ordered me to erase everyone's memories."  
  
Hatori closed his eyes, reliving the events from so long ago.   
  
"I can still remember the look on Yuki's face afterward. He was so crushed, so sad. No one remembered him and I was the one who'd taken that away. I don't think he's ever forgiven me."  
  
Mary sat up and pressed her forehead to Hatori's. "It must be so difficult for you, to bear the burden of everyone else's memories."  
  
Hatori's eyes widened in surprise. That wasn't quite the response he was expecting. He'd expected her to feel sorry for Yuki, he'd never entertained the thought of sympathy towards him.  
  
"It's so unfair," Mary continued. "Everyone else...they can choose to come to you to forget their darkest moments. But you...you not only have to deal with yours but others, too."  
  
She stared at him with worried eyes. "Why do you do it?"  
  
"Ultimately, because it's for the benefit of the family. I can do it, so I do," Hatori answered. "And Akito wishes it."  
  
"Do you always do what Akito tells you to do?"  
  
Hatori searched Mary's eyes, wondering where the conversation was headed.  
  
"For the most part, yes," he admitted. "There have been very few occasions where Akito's requests were not with good reason."  
  
"What if he wanted you to erase my memory?"  
  
Hatori sighed and pulled Mary into a warm hug. "There would be no reason for him to do so. You are like us...you have the same secret."  
  
"I hope you're right," she murmured, relaxing into his embrace.  
  
Hatori said nothing as he remembered the brief conversation he had with Akito several nights before. The head of the Souma family was planning something, but Hatori had no idea what. He sincerely hoped he was right, too.  
  
+  
  
Sue stood just outside Shigure's office and planned her attack. A wicked smile crossed her face but she forced herself to look natural. Tossing aside propriety for the moment, she slid the door open.  
  
"Shigure-san!" Sue called, poking her head inside the study. "I hope I'm not intruding."  
  
He sat behind his low-table desk, pen in hand. He was also wearing his glasses.  
  
"Uh...no, not at all," Shigure said, surprised at the interruption. "Please, come in."  
  
Sue stepped inside. "I came to ask if you wanted tea or anything. Touru-san was kind enough to put some out for us."  
  
"No, thank you. I'm fine," he replied. He still gaped at her, wondering what Sue would do.  
  
"So, this is your office?" Sue asked, looking around.  
  
"Uhn," Shigure answered. "Feel free to look around."  
  
Sue did so and went to a bookshelf directly in front of Shigure's table. Perfect.  
  
"These are all the books you've published?" Sue asked in wonder. "There are so many!"  
  
Sue read the titles slowly, her finger trailing across the backs of the books. She bent down to read the titles of the books on the next shelf. And then she bent down more to read the last shelf. She grinned when she heard Shigure exhale lightly.  
  
Shigure tried not to stare but it was futile. She was teasing him and she knew it. And so did he.   
  
"Well, two can play at this game," Shigure thought. So he ogled her.   
  
But then she leaned over.  
  
And then over some more.  
  
And she was wearing pink panties.  
  
His breath came out in a big whoosh and Shigure found himself leaning forward slightly.  
  
"Did you ever finish that story you were working on, Shigure-san?" Sue asked, whirling around quickly and catching him staring at her. She resisted the urge to grin openly.  
  
"What?" Shigure's back snapped up straight. "Oh, no, not quite. I'm still working on it."  
  
Shigure gaped at the girl. Sue was good. Very good. And she was driving him insane with lust.  
  
"These books on the bottom shelf," Sue mentioned, turning back to the bookcase. "They're not part of your normal writing, are they?"  
  
Shigure contemplated for a moment before standing and moving to where Sue was. He was ever so grateful he normally wore very loose clothing.  
  
"Hmm?" He inquired, looking to where she was pointing. "Oh, these? Yes, I dabble in the young reader market from time to time."  
  
Squatting down, Shigure selected a title and stood, his arm brushing against Sue's leg. Sue's eyebrow quirked.  
  
"Oho," she thought. "Shigure's come to play." Invisible devil horns appeared on Sue's head.  
  
"You might like this one," Shigure offered.  
  
"Er, it might take me a while to read it. I'm afraid my Japanese reading isn't very good because of all the kanji," Sue admitted. She put on a pout and looked worried.  
  
"Well, since it's targeted for younger readers, I decided to go ahead and make it like a manga: kanji with hiragana and katakana beside it. See?"  
  
Shigure placed the book open on a random page on top of the bookshelf. Sue smirked. He'd placed it in such a way that she had to turn around to look at it. As she predicted, Shigure moved closer as soon as she did, just barely touching.  
  
"Can you read this?" Shigure asked. His breath whispered across her ear and Sue shivered.  
  
"Hmm." Sue propped her head up with an elbow and shifted positions, which caused her to move backward slightly. "I think so," Sue replied. She shifted again, distinctly rubbing against Shigure. She heard his breathing change.  
  
"Which one are you having trouble with?" Shigure asked. He applauded himself for keeping his voice calm.  
  
"This one is really hard to read," Sue said, pointing to a long string of complex kanji. "That's a very large phrase."  
  
"Mary would kill me if she knew I was using such horrible, obvious subtext," Sue thought.  
  
"Hmm," Shigure murmured.   
  
Sue sighed at the feel of his breath on her neck. And then he actually moved forward, deliberately rubbing against her. Sue could distinctly feel how aroused Shigure was and it made her grin mischievously.   
  
She bounced on her toes. Once. Twice. Three times.  
  
Shigure nearly exploded.  
  
"Shigure-san! We're home!" Touru's voice called.  
  
Shigure almost screamed.  
  
"Can we finish this lesson later, Shigure-san?" Sue asked, peering over her shoulder. "I'm hungry."  
  
Shigure nodded and hung his head. He didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, he stepped away quickly and gingerly made his way back to his desk.  
  
With a finger to her lips, Sue observed Shigure. "Hmm, maybe that was a little too much," she thought. "Ah, well." Sue smiled wickedly.  
  
"I'm going to go and find out what Touru is making," Sue announced. "Are you coming?"  
  
Shigure resisted the urge to simultaneously groan, glare at Sue, and grab himself. "I'll be out in a minute," he said, putting on a smile.  
  
"Ok!" Sue smiled brightly before bounding out the room.  
  
As the sliding door shut Shigure slowly lowered his head to his table. It was going to be a very long visit.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 10 


	11. Chapter 11

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: A break from silly, sexy Juunishi to...angst. *melodramatic music of doom*   
  
-  
  
Chapter 11 of ?  
  
-  
  
Shigure carefully peered around the corner of Hatori's house. He spotted no one other than the family doctor quietly smoking a cigarette while he gazed at the garden.  
  
"You can stop sneaking around, Shigure," Hatori said without looking at him. "They're not here."  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" Shigure remarked, hand to chest in mock surprise.  
  
"I'm sure Sue-san would be more than willing to make her way here quite quickly," Hatori retorted. He flicked cigarette ash in Shigure's general direction.  
  
"Ha-san is so mean," Shigure pouted, but joined Hatori on the ledge nevertheless. They stared at the garden in silence.  
  
"I would think you wouldn't mind Sue-san's presence," Hatori mentioned.  
  
Hatori looked at Shigure when the other man didn't answer.  
  
"I wish it was that simple," Shigure finally said.  
  
Hatori raised an eyebrow at Shigure's uncharacteristic seriousness. He searched Shigure's face and recognized the bewilderment in his features.  
  
"You're in love with her."  
  
Shigure sniffed. "Am I? What makes you think it's not just lust?"  
  
Hatori merely stared.   
  
"But then, you would know, wouldn't you?" Shigure continued, giving Hatori a knowing smile.  
  
Hatori didn't bother trying to refute the claim. He knew it was true.   
  
"Ayame knows you," he said instead. "As do I."  
  
Shigure nodded. "She's going to drive me insane."  
  
"Not that I'm sane now," Shigure grinned.  
  
Hatori's lips quirked.  
  
"But, what about you?" Shigure asked. "You were not thinking happy thoughts before I arrived."  
  
Damn the dog's instincts. Hatori frowned. He didn't really want to talk about it but he knew Shigure wouldn't leave him alone until he did.  
  
"Do I sense wedding bells in Ha-san's near future?" Shigure was practically in Hatori's face, now, an impish smile on his face with his hands clasped in front of him.  
  
"Akito wants to meet them."  
  
Shigure immediately sobered. "What?"  
  
"The Souma family leader formally requested to meet Mary-san and Sue-san," Hatori elaborated. "As soon as possible."  
  
"I suppose it was only a matter of time," Shigure remarked.  
  
"He's planning something, but I don't know what," Hatori muttered.  
  
Shigure sighed and sat back, staring at the roof of the overhang. "When?"  
  
"Mary-san said she and Sue-san were free Friday evening," Hatori answered.  
  
"Do you want me to be here?"  
  
"If you want," Hatori said. "I would not be opposed to your being here."  
  
Shigure stared at Hatori. This was bothering the doctor much more than he was letting on, that much Shigure could tell. He was nearly back to his old behavior, before Mary and Sue appeared in their lives.  
  
"Hatori."  
  
Hatori turned to look at Shigure, surprised he'd used his full name.  
  
"Don't give up, now," Shigure said in complete seriousness. "This isn't like Kana-kun."  
  
Silence stretched between them before Hatori finally spoke.   
  
"No. It's worse."  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 11 


	12. Chapter 12

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: More angst and doom. I'm quickly approaching the point where I will have no more to post and then I'll actually have to, you know, write more. *weep*   
  
-  
  
Chapter 12 of ?  
  
-  
  
"Would you stop looking so gloomy?" Sue pleaded worriedly. Her cousin was acting strangely, ever since they'd found out Souma Akito wanted to meet them.  
  
Mary wrung her hands together, willing the anxiety in her stomach to settle down. They were halfway to the Souma main house and each step seemed harder than the last.  
  
"You weren't there when Hatori told me," Mary said softly. "He was giving off...I don't know...vibes of doom."  
  
"That sounds rather melodramatic," Sue pointed out.  
  
"I can't help thinking that this will end badly, Sue," Mary said. "And if it does, what will it do to Hatori? He's already had to suffer."  
  
"What about us?"  
  
Mary stopped in her tracks and stared at Sue.  
  
"I know it's not about who gets to suffer or who has suffered more," Sue said quickly. She didn't want to offend the other woman.  
  
"But really," Sue continued. "What about us? Is there anything we can do? We've always faced situations in the past the best we could, and if we end up hurt, so be it. That's the way life goes."  
  
Mary smiled and pulled Sue into a hug. "You're right. There isn't much we can do other than wait it out."   
  
"Besides," Sue said, resuming their walk. "I think between the two of us we should be able to figure something out."  
  
"And it's not like we're going to go down without a fight, right?" Mary replied, grinning.  
  
"Uhn!"  
  
They arrived at the front gate shortly and stared at the door for a long moment.  
  
"Well," Mary said, linking her arm with Sue's. "Here goes."  
  
+  
  
Hatori met them by his home and led them deeper into the compound.   
  
Despite their earlier optimism, Mary and Sue were quiet, walking close together, casting quick glances to and fro as if something would come out and grab them.  
  
Hatori worked on autopilot, his brain attempting to distance himself from the awkwardness that would soon arrive.  
  
The sound of Akito's door sliding shut seemed eerily loud to the trio's ears. They stopped just inside the room and peered around the dimly lit room. The exterior door was open as well and they could see Shigure sitting on the walkway ledge.  
  
Shigure kept his features blank, refusing to look at anyone other than Hatori. Hatori guessed Akito was outside. He nodded and Shigure turned to say something to a person they could not see. Hatori gestured for the women to sit and, after they had, sat behind Mary.  
  
Akito stood in the doorway and stared at the women. Slowly, he sauntered to his spot at the front of the room, one shoulder drooping. The kimono made a soft swishing noise as it traveled across the mats. Finally, he sat and regarded the women again. Mary stared straight ahead but did not look directly at Akito. He smirked. Sue, however, bored her eyes right into Akito's when he looked at her. A challenge. Akito nearly bared his teeth.  
  
"So," Akito spoke. His voice, though soft, demanded attention. "You are the mysterious women cursed like the Souma."  
  
Mary felt her defenses start to rise and bit back the urge to retort sarcastically.  
  
"And, I understand that you have become very close to certain members of our family," Akito continue. "Especially you."  
  
Mary's eyes rose to meet Akito's. She wouldn't back down, nor would she provoke him.  
  
"Yes," she said simply.  
  
Shigure, seated behind Sue, threw Hatori a look. Hatori gave no response.  
  
"What makes you think you can so easily come into our family," Akito said, his voice dropping a notch, "when you are the one who cursed us in the first place?"  
  
Mary's eyes widened slightly and she bristled. Sue growled.  
  
Akito smiled, stood, and slowly walked forward, stopping just in front of Mary. "Why would we accept you, the one who has caused us so much pain?" he whispered.  
  
Akito knelt and stared Mary directly in the eyes, his face a picture of arrogance and malice.  
  
"Tell me," Akito commanded. "Why?"  
  
"Because I want to make things better," Mary croaked.  
  
Wheezing laughter filled the room and Akito clutched at his chest.  
  
"Better?" he said, still chuckling. "You are the butterfly. Everything around you turns into chaos. You cannot make things better."  
  
"I can try," Mary said defiantly.  
  
"Hmmm," Akito mused. "But you will fail."  
  
With a sudden movement, Akito pulled Mary forward.  
  
*pyon*  
  
Akito captured the butterfly between his hands. Sue gasped and nearly jumped up were it not for Shigure who held her back.  
  
"Don't," he muttered.  
  
Akito eyed Sue and then Shigure before grinning again.  
  
"Akito!"  
  
Hatori, his heart finally beating again, stood and faced the family leader.  
  
Akito sniffed in amusement and stood as well, Mary still in his hands.  
  
"Even now," Akito said, continuing his conversation, "your mere presence causes pain, suffering, and anxiety."  
  
"To think that a butterfly could do so much damage," Akito mused, chuckling again. He'd opened his hand but held onto one of Mary's wings between two of his fingers.  
  
Shigure, Sue, and Hatori were all holding their breaths, watching Akito's every move. Mary, for her part, said nothing, fear coursing through her body.  
  
"So delicate," Akito murmured. "So beautiful. So...deadly."  
  
Mary screamed as Akito pressed his fingers together.  
  
Sue lunged forward but because Shigure was still holding onto her, Akito was able to step away.  
  
Hatori was at a loss. Mary was in such a vulnerable position there was virtually nothing he could do that wouldn't result in her becoming more hurt.  
  
"You see?" Akito said, covering Mary with both his hands again. "Even if you die, someone else will be born with your curse and the cycle will continue."  
  
"You can never. Make. Things. Better."  
  
In that moment they all knew what Akito was going to do. And as his hands began to press together, unspeakable fury sparked in Sue's mind.  
  
*pyon*  
  
"Ahhh!!!!" Akito screamed as Sue's wolf teeth sank into his leg.  
  
Akito dropped Mary suddenly, but she was in no position to stop her descent. Hatori moved on instinct and dove, catching Mary's limp butterfly body.  
  
"Hatori!" Shigure shouted. "Take her and leave!"  
  
Hatori didn't have to be told twice and held Mary close to him as he sprinted from the room back to his own. Sue, not wanting to be far from her cousin, resisted the urge to rip Akito to shreds and bounded after Hatori.   
  
-  
  
End Chapter 12 


	13. Chapter 13

The Secret Juunishi  
  
Or  
  
How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket  
  
by secretjuunishi  
  
-  
  
Fandom: Fruits Basket  
  
Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga  
  
Rating: R  
  
Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure  
  
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have *secrets.* *spooky music* Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.  
  
Author's Note: Another short bit...I seem incapable of writing long scenes.  
  
-  
  
Chapter 13 of ?  
  
-  
  
Shigure stared at Akito's unmoving form. After the initial scream, the Souma family leader remained quiet. A state of horrified awe had come over Shigure and he was unable to move, unable to look away. He thought he knew Akito well enough to know of what the man was capable. But now...Shigure realized Akito's cruelty knew no bounds.  
  
And all at once he understood. Akito blamed Mary, the spirit of the butterfly, for his wretched state. Shigure could have kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. The meeting between Akito and Mary should never have happened under any circumstance.  
  
"Aren't you going to ask if I'm all right?"  
  
Akito was looking at him now. Shigure's skin crawled at the look of pure satisfaction on Akito's face.  
  
Akito pulled himself up to a sitting position, seemingly unaware of the puncture holes in his leg. Propped up on his hands, he stared at the ceiling and relived the last few minutes in his mind. Akito's head fell back and he began to laugh.  
  
Shigure had never heard such a terrifying sound.  
  
"I suppose someone should take care of this," Akito whispered, staring at the blood oozing from his leg. He reached behind him and rang a small bell.  
  
A moment passed.  
  
"Do you need assistance, Akito-san?"  
  
Shigure's head snapped around to the doorway and his eyes widened in shock at the room's new occupant.  
  
+  
  
Deep in the furthest corners of his mind, Hatori was screaming. Only years of masking his feelings prevented those screams from bubbling to the surface. It wouldn't help, anyway, and would hinder his ability to help Mary.  
  
His patient. He had to refer to her...the injured...as his patient. Or he'd have a nervous breakdown.  
  
Hatori stared at the creature cradled in his hands and waited. A wolf paced behind him, constantly sniffing and watching. He ignored it.   
  
An eternity passed.  
  
*pyon*  
  
Hatori's patient returned to human form and he could finally see the injuries Akito had inflicted. And the blood.   
  
Hatori had been unsure what butterfly parts corresponded to human parts but knew some serious damage had to have been done. Akito had managed to actually split one of the wings quite a bit. Now, in human form, Hatori could see for himself what had been done and the sight nearly made him sick.  
  
*pyon*  
  
The wolf turned back into human form.  
  
"Oh, my God," Sue cried, one hand covering her mouth in horror. "What did he do?"  
  
Sue crouched next to Mary's body, across from Hatori. She was face down and unconscious, for which Sue was extremely grateful.  
  
Mary's body looked like one big bruise. A long laceration ran from her right shoulder halfway down her back and fresh blood seeped from the wound.  
  
Sue reached a hand out but stopped short of contact. She wanted to touch Mary, to let her know she was there, but was afraid of hurting her more. Sue looked up at Hatori and silently begged the man to reassure her.  
  
For a moment, neither of them moved. Tears trailed their way down Sue's cheeks and she started to shake. Hatori could only stare, his mind cataloging the injuries as his eyes wandered across the patient's back.  
  
Finally, Hatori moved. He grabbed his medical bag and started the process of cleaning and dressing the wounds.  
  
Shigure entered the room moments later, his arrival announced by a whispered curse as his eyes fell on Mary's battered form. Sue turned pleading eyes on the man and practically threw herself at him, desperately needing to be comforted. She didn't care that she was stark naked and, frankly, neither did Shigure. It was neither the time nor the place.   
  
Clutching at Shigure, Sue drew shaky breaths as the shock of the situation started to wear off. Her knees buckled under her and were it not for Shigure's arms, she surely would have fallen to the ground. But he held her close and provided the security she needed. Glancing around, Shigure managed to find a blanket and wrapped it around the now shivering girl.  
  
And then Sue broke down into a hysterical mess.  
  
Shigure glanced at Hatori, but the doctor was absorbed in his task.  
  
"Shhh, Sue-san," Shigure tried to console. "Ha-san will find it difficult to concentrate with all this noise."  
  
He tried to make light of the situation but Sue would have none of it. Shigure had no choice but to pick Sue up and carry her from the room.  
  
Hatori noticed none of it. He worked silently, quickly, and methodically. The cuts, thankfully, were not too deep. Hatori just needed to sterilize and cover the wounds so they would heal. Carefully, Hatori turned his patient over and involuntarily winced. Bruise marks were already appearing.  
  
After determining his patient was not in any mortal danger, Hatori laid out several thick blankets and placed his patient upon them and used a light sheet for cover. He sat, for a moment, staring at nothing. His mind, fatigued by all that had happened that day, started to bring down the emotional barriers he'd raised when it all began. His eyes lowered and he pressed his lips together in frustration, noting the extreme paleness of the person in front of him.  
  
Anger. Fear. Despair. Shock. Panic. But most of all, hurt. Those were the emotions Hatori was feeling at that moment. Those were the emotions Hatori was trying desperately not to let loose for fear that he could not contain them. But then he looked at his patient, at Mary, and his sorrow nearly overwhelmed him.  
  
Hatori reached out and held her limp, pale hand in his. He knew she was strong, but in that moment, her small hand in his, Mary seemed so fragile. He'd almost lost her. If Akito had been angrier... Hatori refused to think of what might have happened.   
  
But, he'd almost lost her. And she never would have known how much he loved her because he never told her.  
  
Quietly, Hatori began to cry.  
  
-  
  
End Chapter 13 


	14. Chapter 14

The Secret Juunishi 

Or

How to Mary Sue Yourself and Your Friend into Fruits Basket

by secretjuunishi

-

Fandom: Fruits Basket

Spoilers: for the anime only, although I do mention the name of a Juunishi that is mentioned in the manga

Rating: R

Pairing: Mary x Hatori, Sue x Shigure

Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst/Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just borrowing them. Hail to Takaya Natsuki.

Summary: Mary Smith and Sue Jones end up in the Fruits Basket universe and they have secrets. spooky music Mary/Hatori, Sue/Shigure.

Author's Note: Eeee, sorry for the lack of update. I meant to post this way back when I wrote it but it just never happened. Warning, gloss-over smut.

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Chapter 14 of ?

Shigure returned to Hatori's room and found the doctor with his head bowed. He said nothing but coughed a little to announce his presence.

Hatori looked up, eyes red, and propped his chin up with his hand.

Shigure raised his eyebrows in surprise. He'd never seen Hatori so emotionally bare. Not even when Akito had forbidden his love with Kana.

"How is she?" Shigure asked, striding forward to kneel beside Hatori.

"Battered and bruised," Hatori replied. "She has some cuts, but thankfully nothing major."

"How are you?" Shigure gave Hatori a kind smile.

"I've...been better."

"You're remarkably calm, given the circumstances," Shigure noted.

"Had you walked in 2 minutes sooner you would have seen that is not the case," Hatori said, deliberately formal.

Shigure let it go.

"How is Sue-san?" Hatori asked. He vaguely recalled Shigure carrying the girl out of the room.

"She's in one of the guest rooms, resting," Shigure replied, eyes closed. "She had to be sedated."

Hatori frowned. "Sedated? By who?"

"By me."

Hatori's heart nearly leapt out of his chest at the sound of an unexpected voice. There, in the doorway, stood the one person Hatori never thought he would see again.

Kana.

"Kana-kun..." Hatori breathed.

"Hello, Hatori-san, it's been a long time," Kana smiled.

Hatori felt like he was suffocating as he sat there and dumbly stared at Kana. Memories flooded through his mind, some happy, some painful. She looked the same now as she did the day she walked out of his life. He gave Shigure a sharp look. The other man had the courtesy of giving Hatori an apologetic smile.

Akito.

It had to be Akito's doing. To bring Kana back to the main house, now...

The sound of a sharp breath broke Hatori's concentration and he glanced down. Mary was stirring.

Shigure stood and headed out of the room, ushering Kana ahead of him. "We should leave them alone for now," he murmured.

Kana looked up at Shigure, somewhat confused, but complied.

"Thank you for your help earlier, Kana-kun," Shigure said.

"It was no trouble," she said. "I don't exactly understand what's happening, but I'm a doctor after all."

"Ah," Shigure answered, distracted.

"I'm going to check on Sue-san," he said and left before she answered.

"Well, that was...odd," Kana murmured aloud.

The first thing that came to Mary's mind when she regained consciousness was something along the lines of, "Ow." She groaned and tried to sit up, knowing instinctively that it was a bad idea yet wanting to do so nonetheless.

"Don't try to move," Hatori's soft voice said in her ear. She felt instantly at ease.

"Hatori," she whispered.

Memory slowly returned and Mary frowned. Her throat felt scratchy and she recalled screaming. And then she felt the pain.

"Ohhhhhh," Mary groaned. "That's...not feeling good at all."

"Where does it hurt?" Hatori asked.

"Um, everywhere."

Hatori grimaced.

"Just...give me a minute," Mary said through clenched teeth.

"I'm going to give you a stronger pain killer," Hatori said, reaching for his bag. He'd given her a light one for the pain she'd likely feel from the cut, but was reluctant to give her a heavier one as he didn't know how she'd react to it.

"No, it's ok," Mary insisted. "I just have to get used to it."

The tone in her voice made Hatori pause. Used to it? How could anyone be used to pain?

"I don't want to see you in pain," Hatori said, continuing to search through his things. "It's my fault you're hurting, anyway."

"What?" Mary said and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"If I'd realized that Akito meant to harm you, I never would have arranged a meeting," Hatori said.

Mary studied his face for a moment. "There's something else that's bothering you. Please...Hatori...tell me."

He stopped his rummaging and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I...didn't do anything."

"What?" Mary frowned further.

"I couldn't stop Akito," Hatori confessed. "I didn't even try. I'm...I'm so sorry."

She saw guilt in Hatori's eyes and her heart went out to him. And that's when she noticed he'd been crying.

Hatori had been crying for her.

Mary bit her lip and tried not to cry. She reached a hand out and grasped his.

"I couldn't protect you," Hatori whispered. "I couldn't keep you safe."

"Hatori...you don't have to," Mary pleaded.

"I want to," he responded. "I want to protect you, because I love you and you mean everything to me."

Hot tears spilled down Mary's cheeks.

Shigure poked his head into the spare room in which Sue was resting. He smiled when he saw her sitting up by the window, gazing at the moon.

"Are you feeling better?" he said softly, not wanting to startle her too much.

She turned quickly, eyes wide. "Is she ok?"

Shigure walked into the room and shut the door behind him. "Ah, she's fine, but bruised. Ha-san will take good care of her."

"Not likely," Sue muttered under her breath.

Shigure frowned, his sharp ears having picked up the words. He shrugged and decided to pass by the subject.

"I'm sorry about before," Shigure said, sitting next to her. "You were so incoherent I didn't know what to do."

"It's ok," Sue said, looking up at him. She smiled, he really was quite cute. "At least it was just a mild sedative."

"So are you feeling better?" he asked again.

"Uhn," Sue replied. But she was staring at the moon again and Shigure could see sadness and worry in her eyes.

"Hey," Shigure said, nudging her arm with his. "It'll be ok."

"I hope so," Sue said, her voice soft. "Shigure...Mary means a lot to me. She's always been there for me. I don't know what would happen if I lost her."

Sue closed her eyes and saw the moment when Akito could have ended Mary's life. She pressed her lips together.

"I could have lost her tonight," she whispered.

"But you didn't," Shigure pointed out. "Thanks to you, she's ok, now."

"I should have done something sooner."

"That was my fault," Shigure admitted.

"Why did you stop me, Shigure?" Sue wondered.

"I...didn't realize that Akito was capable of such cruelty," Shigure answered. "Stupid, I know, but there it is."

"That doesn't answer my question," Sue pressed.

"Akito is not someone that should be taken lightly," Shigure started. "It's hard to explain, but his decisions affect the entire family. It's never a good thing when Akito is mad."

"Shigure?"

"Hmm?" He turned to look at Sue.

And received a huge slap in the face.

Shigure sat back in surprise but he didn't have time to think before an angry Sue was on him. Literally.

"What?" Shigure tried.

"Are you stupid?" Sue snarled. She sat on Shigure's lap, feet braced on the floor, and used her leverage to keep him off balance.

"Akito is a man just like you. What could he possibly do that wasn't worth my trying to save my cousin's life?"

"I-"

"He could have killed her, Shigure! Killed her!" she shouted in his face. "And you wanted to stop me because he's the leader of the house? Nothing, no position, gives a person the right to decide when someone else dies."

"It's not that simple," Shigure tried.

"Yes, it is," Sue retorted. "It is exactly that simple. If Akito were some kind of god then maybe we'd have something to talk about. But he's not."

"Wait just one minute," Shigure said. He was beginning to get upset, too. He moved suddenly and then Sue was the one off balance, nearly falling off his lap. Shigure wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her closer so they were still on eye level.

"No, Akito is not a god, but he is the leader of our family. We must respect that."

"So respect it," Sue snapped. "Don't live your life by it."

"I don't expect you to understand-"

"Oh, stop with the patronizing crap, Shigure. You know I'm right."

Shigure searched Sue's eyes. She wasn't angry anymore, but determined, and stubborn. And correct.

Slowly, Shigure nodded. "I...ok. You're right. But it's still not that easy."

"Why not?" she challenged.

"The...psychological and emotional part of it can't be measured tangibly," he said.

Sue thought on that sentiment for a moment. "That's pretty weak, Shigure."

He shrugged. "But that's what it is."

Sue stared at him.

Shigure squirmed.

Sue continued staring at him.

"Look, take it or leave it, that's just the way it-"

Shigure suddenly found himself flat on his back with Sue's arms around him, her lips against his. Her tongue found his and stroked it so sensuously Shigure couldn't contain a moan. She pulled away and looked down at him.

"Your words make no sense, so stop talking," she growled before kissing him again.

Sue stretched out atop Shigure, loving the feel of his body beneath hers. She ground her hips against his, grinning as he gasped.

"You're cruel," Shigure managed.

"Me?" Sue asked, incredulously. "You didn't notice that you were pressed up against me the whole time we were talking?"

"I was too busy saying senseless things," he retorted, consciously pressing up against Sue.

"Didn't I tell you to stop talking?" Sue wondered before kissing Shigure again.

Shigure wound his arms around Sue, smoothing them up and down her back. He slid his hands down further and caressed her bottom, pulling her against him. His movements stopped as he felt Sue's hand snake between them.

Shigure moaned and pressed against her again.

"My, aren't we the sensitive one?" Sue teased. She'd managed to slip her hand in the folds of his kimono robes.

Shigure whimpered.

But he wasn't idle. Hands under skirt. Panties off.

"You're good at that," Sue murmured.

Shigure opened his mouth to reply.

"Ah ah," Sue scolded. "No talking."

Shigure shut up. Almost. But, the things he was saying in the next several minutes didn't really qualify as words anyway.

Mary stared out Hatori's doorway trying to focus on the bright, morning sunshine and not the stinging pain on her back. Wrapped only in a blanket, she waited patiently as Hatori cleaned the cut down her back and reapplied healing ointment.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, voice ever soft.

"No," Mary said. "But that antiseptic you're using stings something awful."

Hatori grimaced. "I'm sorry."

Mary turned and gave Hatori a sad smile. "You have no need to be."

He merely nodded. Applying the last of the bandages, he pulled the edge of the blanket up over Mary's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I don't think you'll have any scarring," Hatori murmured.

Hatori turned and began putting his things away. He was surprised to feel her arms wrap around him a moment later, her warm breath in his ear.

"Hatori," Mary whispered. "When are you going to stop feeling guilty?"

Dropping his hands in his lap, Hatori sighed. Mary pulled her arms tighter and offered her support.

"Probably not for a while, if ever," he admitted. "There are just...too many things I should have done. Should have said."

He took one of Mary's hands in his and rubbed his thumb across the back. She gripped his hand with hers.

"I'm-"

"Sorry, I know," Mary finished for him.

"Hatori, what's done is done. What happened is in the past," Mary pleaded. "Please don't dwell on the past. Nothing good will come of it."

"I can't forget it," Hatori said.

"Ah, I know," Mary agreed. "But don't let the actions of the past consume you. What you do now, and in the future, is what matters the most."

Hatori was silent, thinking on Mary's words.

"Learn from what happened," she continued. "Don't drown in it. I'd miss you."

Mary leaned forward and rested her head against Hatori's.

"I miss you already."

Hatori's head snapped up and his eyes widened in shock.

"You didn't notice, did you?" Mary asked, her voice gentle.

"I...I don't know," Hatori murmured.

"Ever since you told me Akito wanted to meet us, you've been distancing yourself from us. From me. It was like you were trying to detach yourself from the situation so you wouldn't get hurt."

Mary turned Hatori's head toward her so she could look him in the face.

"But, Hatori," she said. "Don't you see? By doing that, you pretty much guaranteed that Akito could do anything to hurt you. It was the exact opposite of what you wanted."

He searched her eyes, so filled with warmth and kindness. He didn't know what to say.

"Running only makes it worse," she finished.

Mary pressed her forehead to Hatori's and held him closer. "Please don't run from me," she whispered, voice wavering with emotion.

Hatori wrapped his arms carefully around Mary. "Never again," he promised.

Mary sniffled.

Lifting her chin with a finger, Hatori gazed into Mary's now tear-streaked face.

"Please don't cry," he whispered. "I hate seeing you cry. I feel so helpless."

Mary could only hug Hatori tighter, burying her face in his chest.

The sound of the sliding door banging open startled both of them.

"What the-?" Mary exclaimed, sitting back and clutching the blanket close to her body. "Sue?"

Sue stood in the doorway and she looked royally pissed off. She took one look at Mary and immediately felt relieved that her cousin at least appeared to not be in pain. And then she looked at Hatori. Who looked at her with the same, semi-blank expression he always did. Sue ground her teeth.

Wordlessly, Sue strode forward, stood right in front of Hatori, and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Sue!" Mary exclaimed in horror. "What the Hell are you doing?!"

"You didn't do a damn thing and Mary got hurt," Sue said to Hatori through clenched teeth. "Not. A. Damn. Thing!"

Hatori turned his head back to face the wrath of Sue, a large, red imprint of her hand on his cheek.

"You are so not worth it!" Sue spat.

"Sue, stop it!" Mary interjected. Now, she was upset.

"No, it's ok, Mary," Hatori finally spoke. "I deserve it."

Sue, who was mad when she came in, was angrier now. The fact that Hatori wasn't even going to fight for himself just pissed her off. "Your behavior makes me sick!"

Sue leapt forward, intent on beating the crap out of the man. But then Mary moved. Right into the path of Sue's fists. And Sue didn't have time to change her course.

Mary was positively angry at her cousin and her decision to stop Sue from harming Hatori outweighed the knowledge that she was already injured.

Hatori stared at the women in a daze, part of his mind not believing what he was seeing.

"What you do now, and in the future, is what matters the most."

Mary's words echoed through his mind and Hatori was moving before he knew what he was doing.

Time slowed down and as if in a dream, Hatori wrapped an arm around Mary's waist and pulled her out of the way. Unfortunately it put him right in the path of Sue's fist.

smack

The impact of Sue's fist with Hatori's jaw made his head snap back. The floor rushed up to meet him, but not before he was able to shift Mary around. Hatori's body absorbed most of the shock of falling to the floor and he was glad he could cushion Mary's fall with him. But the force of Hatori's head also hitting the mats was too great and he descended quickly into unconsciousness.

The room was abnormally quiet for several moments. Mary finally sat up and scrambled off of Hatori, checking to see if he was ok. The fact that he was unconscious worried her more than the split lip he'd suffered.

"Er," Sue spoke. "That wasn't quite how it was supposed to happen."

"Get out."

Mary did not raise her voice, but to Sue, the quiet timbre of her voice was a thousand times more terrifying.

"Mary-" Sue started.

"Please," Mary cut her off. She refused to look at the other woman. "I don't want to yell at you. But I'm angry right now. Please. Leave."

"Hff!" Sue sniffed before storming out of the room.

Mary sighed and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. Things were going from bad to worse quickly. After a long moment, she began looking around for the supplies she'd need to clean the blood off Hatori's face. Other than that, she could only wait for him to wake up.

The spare room was empty when Sue re-entered it and part of her was relieved. She really wasn't in the mood to face Shigure at the moment. For several moments, she fumed and prowled around the room.

"They're both being so stupid," she muttered to herself.

Sue couldn't understand how her cousin could like a person as weak-willed as Hatori. And what was worse, it looked like Mary was even supporting the man.

"He is definitely not good enough for her," Sue growled aloud. "I don't care what issues he has...if he wants to be with her, he's going to have to prove it."

The door slid open and Sue's thoughts were interrupted by the reappearance of Shigure.

Slightly damp and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Before Shigure could say a word, Sue had crossed the room and pulled him into a frenzied kiss. A moment later they were on the floor and Shigure had lost his towel. The next several moments flew by in a blur and later Shigure would recall he enjoyed it immensely, brief as it was. But the next thing he knew, Shigure was staring at the ceiling, eyes wide with shock. Sue had fled the room again, and Shigure wondered what the Hell just happened.

Mary stared out Hatori's door again, her fingers lightly brushing through the still unconscious man's hair. She'd cleaned up his split lip and now sat with his head in her lap.

A part of her mind wanted to shut down and not think about anything. The other...didn't. And it was winning.

She sighed heavily and thought back on the events of the day; more specifically, on her cousin's behavior. Mary knew Sue was extremely protective of her since it was part of her personality, but it went far beyond her character traits as a wolf.

And, although she didn't want to admit it, Mary wondered if Sue felt a little threatened by Hatori's presence in her life. She knew Sue wanted her to be happy and loved, but at the same time, if she was, she would not be spending as much time with Sue. After all, they'd been together as much as possible for most of their lives due to who they were. Or rather, what they were.

But things were different now. They'd found other people who really understood what they had gone through.

Mary felt Hatori stir and looked down at him, watching his eye lashes flutter against his cheek as he opened his eyes. She smoothed her hand down his cheek and he covered it with his own, looking up at her.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she smiled. "I fixed up your lip, but I'm not sure how well."

Hatori lifted his other hand and gingerly ran a finger across his lip. "Perfect," he replied and smiled as far as he dared. "So..."

"I haven't talked to Sue," Mary said, looking outside again. "And I don't really know what to do to...fix this." She waved a hand in the air.

"I'm not sure there's anything I can do to help," Hatori mused.

Mary gave Hatori a warm look. "It'll be ok. We'll just have a knock-down drag-out fight and get everything out onto the table," she said.

Hatori's eyes widened. "I hope not."

"Like I said, it'll be ok," Mary reassured.

"I believe you," Hatori remarked.

Slowly, he sat up and faced her, tired of seeing her from upside down. For a moment, they stared at each other, an awkward lull falling between them.

Mary looked outside again, her eyes kept straying to the peaceful surroundings that seemed to calm her chaotic thoughts.

Hatori studied her profile, his eyes tracing the line of her chin, her jaw, and her neck. She was still wrapped in only a blanket and he found himself following the edge of the blanket as it dipped down her body and crossed just above her breasts. He shook his head sharply before his thoughts could wander more.

Too late.

And Mary had noticed.

But she wasn't exactly looking at him. Instead, she had ducked her head a little and was blushing prettily. Hatori was about to speak, to say something, anything, to dispel the awkward situation, when Mary did something completely unexpected.

She let go of the blanket and it slowly slid down her body to pool around her.

Hatori's mouth went dry.

Mary's heart was beating so fast she thought it would pound right out of her chest. She didn't know why she dropped the blanket but at that point it was a little too late to take it back. And she was a little afraid to look at him. She sucked in a quick breath, though, when she felt his finger on her shoulder. She closed her eyes as Hatori dragged his finger down her arm and rested his hand on top of hers.

And then he slipped his arms around her very bare waist and pulled her to him.

Hatori folded Mary into his arms and held her tight. She was warm and real and there. He never wanted to let her go. He ran a hand up and down her back, carefully avoiding the long line of bandages, in a comforting motion, although he wasn't quite sure who he was comforting.

"Hatori?" Mary asked, confused.

"I keep thinking about what happened," he murmured, voice low. "I keep thinking how Sue almost lost you...how I almost lost you."

Mary bit her lip at the mention of her cousin's name but said nothing.

"Never again," Hatori whispered.

"Hmm?" Mary asked.

"Never again will I hesitate when an opportunity arises...there's too much of a chance that it will never happen again," he continued.

Hatori sat back a little and stared into Mary's eyes for a long moment.

"I love you, Mary," he said. "I always want to be with you."

Silence hung in the air but it wasn't an awkward silence. Mary and Hatori stared at each other. Time slowed down. Mary moved closer to Hatori and he folded her to him again. He threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her softly, ignoring the pain in his lip. She responded in kind and soon they lay together on the tatami mats.

"You know," Mary sighed against Hatori.

"Hmm?"

"You're wearing way too much clothing..."

She giggled when he laughed against her skin, the vibrations of his voice tickling her.

"That can be remedied easily," he murmured.

"Mmmm, let's."

-

End Chapter 14


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